Women make up nearly half of the roughly one million artisanal fishers in Brazil. They are involved in every stage of the work: fishing, cleaning, shelling, collecting shellfish, repairing nets, and selling. They support their families, preserve traditional knowledge, and keep fishing culture alive.

Despite this central role, they have long gone unrecognized. It was only in 1980 that they gained the right to a fishing license, and even today many activities mainly carried out by women—such as net-making, shellfish gathering, and fish processing—are still not officially counted in the sector’s statistics.

Their routine is far from easy. It often means hours in mangroves, walking through mud, bent over collecting shellfish, hauling heavy loads, rowing, and carrying buckets and boxes. Constant exposure to sun, rain, wind, and cold water takes a toll on their health. On top of that, informality, limited access to public policies, credit, documentation, and proper equipment make their work even more challenging. Climate change, environmental disasters, and real estate pressure are also directly affecting these activities, increasing economic insecurity.

Produced by the TerraMar Project (MMA, GIZ/IKI), the documentary closely follows the reality of women fishers along the coast of Pernambuco and Alagoas, highlighting the challenges they face and the importance of their work.

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