Research on the challenges faced by small-scale fisherwomen in Dube, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, was enriched by exchanges on ethics, politics, histories, political ecologies and human rights in Scotland. In April 2024, Hub researcher Aphiwe Moshani (University of Cape Town, South Africa) had the opportunity to participate in the British Council Scotland and the Scottish Graduate School for Arts & Humanities (SGSAH) EARTH Scholarships programme, joining a diverse cohort of 23 Scottish-based and international PhD scholars. This unique programme focusing on environmental arts and humanities provided a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration that deeply resonated with Aphiwe’s work as an early career researcher (ECR) with One Ocean Hub. 

The EARTH Scholarship was particularly enriching as it allowed Aphiwe to delve into the programme’s ‘Triple E’ cluster, which drew together a range of interdisciplinary arts and humanities expertise around inclusive themes such as; the cultural and creative economy and theories of its sustainable and socially just future; issues of ethics; and theories of the environment, including creative approaches to researching species, energy, ecology and the geo-humanities. These themes are closely aligned with Aphiwe’s PhD research, which investigates the ethics, politics, histories and political ecologies focusing on the intricate relationships between human and non-human elements in the context of the Blue Economy.  

An initial two-week programme from 15-26 April 2024 was a whirlwind of engaging talks and discussions facilitated by leading research centres, including the Centre for Cultural Policy Research at the University of Glasgow, the Centre for Climate Justice, the Talbot Rice Gallery at the University of Edinburgh, Philosophers for Sustainability, and One Ocean Hub at the University of Strathclyde. These sessions were thoughtfully curated to reflect the Scottish context while addressing broader global concerns. 

One of the key discussion themes was the urgent need to decolonise art, aesthetics, and the imperialist spatial representations of land and the sea dominating cartography. This also includes the problematic gatekeeping of Indigenous historical records and arts within British archives. It is evident that these issues must be at the forefront of research and teaching within the environmental arts, sciences, and humanities globally.

The second week of the programme ended with an unforgettable fieldtrip to Rannoch Moor, a boggy moorland near Loch Rannoch in Scotland. This area is characterised by its soggy terrain which is predominantly composed of blanket bog, lochans and streams. It is an important site for climate research due to its extensive peat deposits. Peat is a carbon-rich soil that accumulates over thousands of years as dead plant material slowly decomposes in waterlogged conditions.

When left intact, peatlands act as long-term carbon sinks, storing vast amounts of carbon that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere as greenhouse gases. Additionally, Rannoch Moor is also important as an archaeological site. The waterlogged, acidic conditions of peat bogs can preserve organic materials that would normally decompose such as wood, leather and vegetation. The preservation of these materials allowed us to do some peat coring work, see image above, to identify archaeological information about changes in the climate and environment over thousands of years.

Following this enriching Scottish tour, Aphiwe dedicated time to further her research on the challenges faced by small-scale fisherwomen in Dube, KwaZulu-Natal. Under the formidable mentorship of Hub Deputy Director, Philile Mbatha and Hub Director, Elisa Morgera, Aphiwe began exploring the limitations of international and African regional legal frameworks in safeguarding the rights of these fisherwomen. Aphiwe’s work, titled “Balancing the Tide: Safeguarding International Human Rights of Small-Scale Fisherwomen in South African Ocean Governance,” focuses on two key conventions: the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Maputo Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa.

Both CEDAW and the Maputo Protocol provide broad protections for women’s rights but fall short in addressing the unique challenges faced by small-scale fisherwomen. CEDAW, adopted by the United Nations in 1979 and ratified by South Africa in 1995, is a cornerstone in the international legal framework for gender equality. It mandates signatory states to eliminate discrimination against women in all forms, ensuring equal access to education, health care, employment, and other socio-economic resources.

CEDAW specifically highlights the rights of rural women, emphasising their right to participate in development planning, enjoy adequate living conditions, and access training and education. The Maputo Protocol of 2003 aims to ensure comprehensive rights for women, including participation in political processes, social and political equality, and the right to control their reproductive health as well as focusing on the rights of women in rural areas, advocating for their access to water, food security, and sustainable development.

As Aphiwe continues to develop recommendations for this publication, it is becoming evident that despite the broad protections offered by CEDAW and the Maputo Protocol, there is a glaring lack of specific provisions addressing the unique challenges faced by small-scale fisherwomen. Fisherwomen in the African continent often operate in informal economies, where their labour is unrecognised and undervalued. The conventions fail to provide targeted measures to protect their rights to livelihood, social security, and cultural practices. South Africa’s post-apartheid government has been particularly slow to prioritise the comprehensive implementation of CEDAW and the Maputo Protocol.

As such there is no dedicated national instrument or policy framework that integrates these international commitments into actionable programmes for rural fisherwomen. Moreover, their cultural rights, such as traditional fishing practices and community-based resource management, are not adequately protected. The current legal and policy frameworks do not recognise the cultural significance of their work, leading to marginalisation and economic insecurity.

Addressing these gaps requires developing specific national instruments, integrating cultural rights into policy frameworks, strengthening enforcement mechanisms, and providing capacity-building opportunities tailored to the African coastal gender context. By taking these steps, South Africa can ensure that the rights of small-scale fisherwomen are protected and promoted, contributing to broader goals of gender equality and sustainable development.

Aphiwe deemed that her “time as part of the British Council Scotland SGSAH 2024 EARTH Scholarship programme was a phenomenal experience, offering valuable insights and fostering connections that undoubtedly shape her current and future research endeavours. The interdisciplinary collaboration and the opportunity to engage with scholars from diverse disciplines has been incredibly inspiring, reinforcing the importance of integrating multiple perspectives in addressing complex environmental justice issues.”

Aphiwe is finalising her PhD at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. In addition to her interests in gender and ocean governance, she is leading the Hub’s interdisciplinary paper titled ,“The ambiguities in fisheries management: a comparative analysis between the small-scale fisheries and recreational fisheries sectors in Ghana, Namibia and South Africa” due to be submitted for publication before the end of 2024.

This is the second EARTH Scholarship awarded to a Hub research on gender and the ocean.

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