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Story Publication logo September 30, 2024

Breaking the Nets: An Oral History of India’s Fisherwomen

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English

In India, the role of women in fishing remains largely unacknowledged.

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This five-part series chronicles the discriminations they have faced, the battles they have waged, and the solutions they have crafted.


At the heart of the fishing industry is the invisible labour of women.

Over 12.3 million women in India work in fishing — catching, farming, processing, and selling fish, mending nets, and maintaining fishing gear. But their contribution is largely unacknowledged, both in government policies and within fishing communities.

Fisherwomen have fought to get recognition for their labour and secure their rights.


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Urmila Sardar saw a tiger drag her husband away in the Sundarbans. Still, she defies the Forest Department to catch fish and crabs here to make a living. The 80-year-old Namma Thayi has been diving in the Gulf of Mannar to pick seaweed since she was 10. They urge the government to legally recognise the right to their traditional occupations in these protected areas.

Vedavalli, a fisherwomen’s leader in Puducherry, refused to pay a fine imposed by the all-male caste panchayat. Instead, she complained about them to the police.

A young Adivasi woman from Odisha, Lakshmipriya Giri, avoids distress migration and lives in her home with dignity, thanks to her recent foray into fish farming. Being able to buy herself a dress and a mobile phone is a bonus.

In Mumbai, Shyamla Worlikar’s income was halved after she and other vendors were moved from their 50-year-old fish market to an underground basement. Furious at the lack of amenities, she dragged India’s richest municipal corporation to court.

In Bihar, several women from the Mallah community were trapped in sex slavery and debt bondage by dominant caste landlords. Chandrakala Devi and other women wrested control of village fish ponds from them, and freed themselves.

We bring you many such stories from six regions in India. These stories illustrate the outcomes that can arise when women organise, assert their rights, and fight oppression.

This is an oral history of resistance, but also of resilience and hope.


Stories

Waves of Resistance
How Mallah Women Fought Caste Hierarchy and Sex Slavery in Bihar. Read now.

Quiet Rebellions
Karaikal Fisherwomen Defy All‑Male Caste Panchayats. Read now.

Conservation Vs Livelihoods
Women Demand Forest Rights in Protected Gulf of Mannar and Sundarban. Read now.

Currents of Change
Odisha Women Secure Nutrition and Income With Fish Farming. Read now.

Crumbling Fish Markets
Indigenous Fisherwomen Fight to Save Fish Markets of Mumbai. Read now.


Credits

Shamsheer Yousaf: Text | Video | Multimedia Production

Monica Jha: Text | Audio | Video Editing

Sriram Vittalamurthy: Photo | Video

Eishan Banerjee: Blox & Pix – Design Studio

Huy Le: Web Development

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