Small-scale fisheries have historically been active across most of coastal Turkey, including along Gökova Bay - a magnificent 45-mile long stretch of aquamarine waters located on the southern Mediterranean coast. Fisheries make up an important source of livelihood for local communities. In Turkey, fishing has traditionally been regarded as a male domain.

As a result, many women’s contributions in the fisheries sector have been considered a part of domestic work, and therefore undervalued, undocumented, and under-represented or overlooked in official statistics. In 2009, SGP grantee partner, the Underwater Research Society, aimed to tackle issues of over fishing and over-capacity fishing fleets by establishing no take fish zones in the Gökova Bay marine protected area with active involvement of women. Through multi-stakeholder consultations, the NGO and the community were able to agree on appropriate measures of monitoring and enforcement to protect the area.

Read the full story about this successful initiative.