Story by: Offin Alfred Kwame (GIJ)(offin.alfrer7@gmail.com)

Tema, a suburb in the Greater Accra Region is known for its largest seaports in Ghana. It is a city constructed on the site of a small fishing village. The city was first commissioned by Ghana’s first president Dr Kwame Nkrumah, which grew rapidly after the construction of a large harbour in 1961.
It is known to be one of the top two deep seaports in Ghana.

Due to what it is known for, the main occupation which most people, especially women are involved in is Fishing.
Fishing is most at times seen as an activity for males, especially where it involves boats, equipment and spending long days at sea.

Undoubtedly women also play key roles in maintaining equipment, processing and marketing of the fish. And some often go to the extent of fishing too often fish but are less acknowledged in the Tema community.

Speaking to some women who are involved in fishing, they lamented on how they struggle to make a living even though the income they get from fishing is not that enough to cater for them.

Madam Naa Ayele Kai, who has been in the fishing business for almost 30-years shared her experience on how she has been able to cater for her children through the fishing business.

” The fishing business is good; I will not say it is not good. My first child is now in university and it is through this fishing business that I have been able to look after my children.”

“Not that we do not have challenges, sometimes the fishermen have bad days which affect our business because the prices of the fish will go up due to its shortage.”

Another young woman, madam Evelyn Lamptey also said” This is our only source of living, here in Tema everything is about fishing, all the companies you see around are more into fishing so that was why we chose this as a profession because we know that if not anything, we will get a little money to take home.”

“My mother used to do this fishing business and that was our only source of hope in our house and now that I have taken over, I am also taking care of her through this same fishing business.”
According to her, she goes to the seas with the fishermen to fish and comes to sell the fish to her customers.
“Most of the women here sell the fish to make money, some also go to the sea and sell the fish to their customers which i am part of.”
Per observations made, women in Tema have now gained self -confidence as some are actively participating in typical ‘male’ activities like the Fishing compared to some years back.

Most women in Tema have contributed to the fishing industry immensely for some time now, therefore the need for Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) and even some government officials to help them by bringing up initiatives which will help cater for their children, like scholarships to help support them.