International Association for Women in the Seafood Industry (WSI) has chosen four winners from its short film competition to document the lives of women in several segments of the seafood industry.
WSI, which developed the contest with the support of AFD French Development Agency and Iceland-based Matis, said that Puntada Invisible produced by FUNDAMAR and directed by Henry Robusto brought out the most clearly how women play important but undervalued roles in the fishing industry and are affected by health hazards in these roles – as well as being affected by the decline in the industry.
Dr Fenella Porter, senior gender advisor at Oxfam UK and one of the jury members, stated: “The competition is an excellent way to communicate about the real issues that are faced by women in the seafood industry, without getting too buried in theoretical text. It is effective and informative, and an enjoyable way to get this kind of insight. The voices of these women are authentic and clear, and must be heard.”
Important messages
Another of the winning films was Mujeres del Mar del Cortés, which was narrated by a selection of women’s voices and brings to life the underlying values and motivating principles behind a women’s co-operative, said WSI. It added that the film clearly expressed the need for a better understanding of the environment and ecological sustainability.
Girls who Fish in Petty Harbour addresses the question of challenging male-dominated stereotypes and the need to encourage women to participate in fishing, while The Invisible Hands Produced and directed by Shrayansh Pandey and Shrinkhla Pandey depicted how fishing families are so proactive in expanding their business via grants and setting up Fish Nutri Carts.
The 2018 competition received 15 short stories from Ireland, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Spain and the US.
