{"id":18794,"date":"2026-07-29T11:45:56","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T09:45:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/actionaid.ch\/?p=18794"},"modified":"2026-07-31T11:17:37","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T09:17:37","slug":"zambia-when-the-price-of-fish-is-womens-dignity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/actionaid.ch\/en\/zambia-when-the-price-of-fish-is-womens-dignity\/","title":{"rendered":"Zambia: when the price of fish is women&#8217;s dignity"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"vidiemme-block basic-editor  \" >\n  \n  <div class=\"no-container\">\n    \n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"vidiemme-block basic-editor  \" >\n  \n  <div class=\"container-xl\">\n    <p>In some fishing communities in Zambia, thousands of women continue to be trapped in a form of exploitation that is as cruel as it is invisible. In order to buy fish to resell and support their families, many are forced to endure sexual coercion by the men who control the market.<\/p>\n<p>This practice is known as &#8220;<strong>sex-for-fish<\/strong>&#8220;: fish is sold at lower prices or reserved only for women who agree to have sex.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;<em>They don&#8217;t ask for money. They ask for sex in exchange for cheaper fish<\/em>.&#8221;\u00a0This is how Martha*, a fish trader from one of the affected communities, describes the situation.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The spread of this form of violence is closely linked to the combined effects of poverty, the climate crisis and gender inequality.<\/strong> Declining fish stocks are making it increasingly difficult to earn a living from fishing, intensifying competition and strengthening the power of those who control the market. At the same time, many women have no opportunity to fish independently or to access the market on equal terms with men. For many mothers, accepting this exploitation appears to be the only way to put food on the table for their children. It is not a choice, but the consequence of a system that deprives women of their freedom and their chance to build a life with dignity.<\/p>\n<p>Over the past few years, <strong>ActionAid<\/strong> has worked alongside women in fishing communities, <strong>providing support, training and practical tools to help them recognise abuse, report violence and defend their rights<\/strong>. Part of this work was supported by a USAID-funded programme. Following the suspension of US funding, many of these activities came to an abrupt halt, leaving thousands of women without support at a time when they need it most.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #ed1c24;\">From Survivor to Advocate<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>According to the Zambia Police Service, <strong>more than 9,300 cases of gender-based violence were reported during the first quarter of 2024 alone<\/strong>. In all likelihood, this figure represents only a fraction of the problem, as many cases of violence are never reported. Behind every statistic are women trying to protect themselves and their children in environments marked by poverty, discrimination and limited opportunities.<\/p>\n<p>Despite these challenges, some women are transforming their personal experiences into collective action. Palekelo*, who once experienced the &#8220;<em>sex-for-fish<\/em>&#8221; practice herself, is now a member of a <strong>Women&#8217;s Watch Group<\/strong>,<strong> a community group that works to prevent abuse and support women who find the courage to report it.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;<em>Women now know what they can accept and what they cannot. They know that &#8216;sex-for-fish&#8217; is wrong and that they have the right to report it<\/em>.&#8221; Every woman who becomes aware of her rights can become a source of strength and leadership for her entire community.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;<em>No mother should be forced to risk her safety just to feed her children<\/em>&#8221; says Faides Tembatemba, Country Director of ActionAid Zambia.<\/p>\n<p>This is why ActionAid continues to work alongside local communities so that women can live free from violence, know their rights and build a safer future for themselves and their families. <strong>Because no woman should ever have to choose between hunger and her dignity.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>*Names have been changed to protect the identities of those involved<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h6><em>Photocredits: Loliwe \u200bPhiri \u200b\/\u200b \u200bActionAid<\/em><\/h6>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":18786,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18794","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-senza-categoria"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.1 - 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