Strengthening Gender Equality in Ghana’s Fisheries Sector
In Ghana, gender equality is steadily becoming a cornerstone of sustainable fisheries management, thanks in part to the efforts of professionals in the gender team at the Ghana Fisheries Commission, which includes a 2024 alumna of GRÓ GEST, Rukaya Issah.
Rukaya works with the Commission under the Post-Harvest Management and Trade Division, which also hosts the Commission’s Gender Desk. Following her graduation from the GEST Programme, where she wrote her final assignment on “The Successes and Failures of Gender Mainstreaming in the Fisheries Sector in Ghana,” Rukaya has played an active role in strengthening gender-responsive governance within the sector.
Shortly after returning home, she joined the Commission’s Gender Team and participated in a USAID-supported step-down training to build the gender capacity of fisheries officers. This year, the Fisheries Commission independently organised and funded a similar training, marking an important milestone in the institutionalisation of gender equality initiatives. As part of the facilitation team, Rukaya developed the concept note and led a session on Basic Gender Concepts. The training addressed critical issues such as gender-based violence, child labour, gender equality and social inclusion (GESI), and mainstreaming gender in the fisheries sector. The training is now planned as an annual programme to further embed gender mainstreaming across the Commission’s work.
These efforts are directly aligned with the Fisheries Commission’s gender mainstreaming strategy, which seeks to empower women and men in the sector through equitable participation, access to resources, and leadership opportunities. The strategy highlights the need for gender-sensitive research, leadership development, and capacity-building, which are precisely the kind of competencies that the GEST Programme aims to develop among its fellows.
Rukaya Issah of the gender team at Ghana Fisheries Commission engaged in training
The partnership between GRÓ GEST and the Fisheries Commission has already proven fruitful. Rukaya was the first fellow from the Commission to participate in the Programme. In 2025, another staff member from the Commission, Justina Ekuwa Annan, joined the GEST cohort, and a third is set to participate in 2026, paving the way for continued collaboration. This growing relationship reflects the Commission’s commitment to gender-responsive governance and underscores the value of continued cooperation between the two institutions.
The Fisheries Commission’s strong commitment to gender equality also reflects the kind of partnership that makes capacity development through GRÓ GEST meaningful and sustainable. The Programme’s work is guided by the needs and priorities expressed by its partner institutions and alumni in low- and middle-income countries, ensuring that training remains relevant and responsive to local realities.
When institutions such as the Fisheries Commission actively integrate gender equality into their strategic frameworks, it creates fertile ground for collaboration and long-term impact. As the Commission’s Gender Mainstreaming Strategy and Fisheries and Aquaculture policy outlines, “there will be a need to train more staff to help mainstream gender into the sector.” Through continued partnership with GRÓ GEST, the Fisheries Commission can ensure that its staff receive training in gender analysis, leadership, and policy implementation, strengthening both individual capacities and the Commission’s broader mandate to promote equality and sustainable development within Ghana’s fisheries.