NOVA Ocean and Leading Women for the Ocean proudly launched the final report and executive summary of the Women in the Blue Economy Project during the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference, held in Nice, France.
The launch took place on 9 June at the side event “Empowering Women in the Blue Economy: Bridging Research, Policy and Action”, hosted in the #ForCoral Pavilion in the Conference’s Green Zone. The event brought together researchers, policymakers, and advocates to discuss how to better integrate gender equality into ocean-related sectors.
The newly released report presents a detailed analysis of women’s roles in fisheries, shipping, and ocean governance—sectors that remain deeply gendered and often overlook the contributions and challenges faced by women. Through empirical data, interviews, and case studies from different countries, the report highlights the structural barriers women face in the blue economy and offers practical policy recommendations to advance gender equality. It contributes to global goals such as SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 14 (Life Below Water), reinforcing the importance of inclusive and sustainable ocean governance.
This project was made possible thanks to the generous support of Oceans5, and to our research partners: Cape Verde University and the Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation. We also recognize the hard work of the NOVA Ocean team whose dedication brought this project to life.
We are especially grateful to our general coordinators, Professors Maria Damanaki and Assunção Cristas; our gender issues coordinators, Professors Margarida Lima Rego and Nausica Palazzo; our project manager, Manuela Bocayuva; and researchers Patrícia André, Sara Apresentação, and Tatiana Morais. Their thoughtful analysis of interviews, policy documents, and field research formed the backbone of this publication.
We were honored to be joined at the launch by speakers Vera Alexandropoulou (LWO / Thalassa Foundation), Maria Damanaki (LWO / Former EU Commissioner), Assunção Cristas (NOVA School of Law / VdA Vieira de Almeida), and Manuela Bocayuva (NOVA Ocean), who brought rich insight and commitment to the discussion.
The full report and executive summary are now available online:
This publication marks an important milestone in our ongoing work to promote just and equitable ocean governance. We hope it will serve as a tool to inform policy, spark further research, and support women in all areas of the blue economy.
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