Женщина из Малави нарушила культурный запрет и начала собственное рыболовство

Агнес Мкандавайр из деревни Тукомбо преодолела патриархальные традиции и стала одной из первых женщин, владеющих лодкой и сетями на озере Малави. Её пример вдохновил более дюжины местных жительниц, которые теперь также занимаются рыболовством и входят в состав комитетов по защите побережья.

Перевод ИИ

Текст статьи доступен на языке оригинала.

Нажмите кнопку «Перевести статью» выше, чтобы сгенерировать перевод с помощью ИИ.

Оригинальный контент

Источник

Agness Mkandawire grew up in a traditional family at Tukombo village, in a lakeshore district of Nkhata Bay in northern Malawi. While growing up, she had one thing on her mind: to join the fishing business. Culturally, it is taboo for women to go out to catch fish. Hence, Mkandawire initially worked in fish processing and trading for three years before she bought a boat and two fishing nets to venture into the deep waters of Lake Malawi. Mkandawire, a mother of three children, said that fish processing was not the kind of business she was hoping for when she started it in 2012. “The fish processing and trading business was so challenging,” she said, “I was worried about the rising costs of firewood for drying fish. At the same time, buying fish from fishermen was a hustle. You need to know the fisherman or you have to be in a sexual relationship with one of them or many.” “I needed to go fishing myself. Even though I had dreams of owning a boat, I didn’t know who would be helping me fish with it. Culturally, women aren’t allowed to go into the waters and fish,” she said. “In the first few months, I was going out with men in my boat, and they were teaching me how to do it and how to navigate the waves when the Lake [Malawi] got rough,” she added. The first time she went into the waters, she was scorned and belittled by both men and women alike, and even the elders. She was forbidden to pursue her dream because fishing was only meant for men. In northern Malawi, where patriarchy runs deep and women are relegated to domestic chores, Mkandawire was determined to break the yoke. “I refused to accept what all people were saying that I should not do,” she said. Her determination inspired several other women in her village. At present, more than 12 women own fishing gear in Tukombo. Several of them are also part of the Beach Village Committees (BVCs), organizations committed to protecting the environment and women from exploitation. In Tukombo, six of the 11 executive committee members are women, said Mkandawire….