Abstract
Gender equity in fisheries and aquaculture is a consequential economic, social, and human rights global issue. Women are the backbone of the seafood and aquaculture industry worldwide, but their contributions are often undervalued or unrecognized. While women are increasingly entering the field and leading in aquaculture (e.g., Kobell, 2020), opportunities have generally not kept pace with industry growth, despite aquaculture being the fastest-growing food production sector globally. This dearth is attributed to inequities in training, financing, and decision-making power, among other institutional and systemic socio-cultural, economic, and political factors (FAO, 2016; Brugere and Williams, 2017). As aquaculture requires training and competencies in a breadth of ecology, biology, oceanography, and technology subjects, individuals in the discipline often share similar educational or professional experiences as peers in other ocean science fields. Consequently, aquaculture is affected by many of the same structural barriers that hinder diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) in ocean sciences generally.