The Gender in Aquaculture and Fisheries Section (GAFS) of the Asian Fisheries Society was founded in January 2017, based on nearly 20 years of activities led by the informal network on, originally, Women in Fisheries, and later Gender in Aquaculture and Fisheries. The AFS has been active in promoting the importance of gender dimension in fisheries and aquaculture since 1990. With the formation of GAFS, AFS became the first fisheries and/or aquaculture professional society to establish a section devoted to gender issues in fisheries and aquaculture.

The objectives of GAFS are to: (1) promote cooperation among experts involved in gender in fisheries and aquaculture issues and advance research and practice in Asia-Pacific and other regions of the world; (2) increase awareness of the importance of incorporating gender and more particularly women in fisheries and aquaculture interventions and research and to contribute to the their development; (3) advocate for the advancement of women within the fisheries and aquaculture sectors; and (4) promote the establishment of local networks and organizations involved in gender issues and collaborate with other similar networks and civil society organizations. To learn more about the GAFS, please visit our website (https://www.genderaquafish.org)

To further these objectives. The Section will hold a regular AFS symposium on Gender in Aquaculture and Fisheries, publish research, produce a newsletter and use social media, and communicate widely to further knowledge on gender and women’s issues in aquaculture and fisheries. The Section will seek collaboration with stakeholders, with a special focus on women in the sector. The GAFS By-laws are on our website.

The GAF Section is governed by an elected Executive Committee of 9 members, plus the Past Chair and the Newsletter Editor. The officers of the Executive Committee will consist of the Chair, Past Chair, ViceChair, Secretary, Treasurer, Election Committee Coordinator, Constitution Committee Coordinator and Membership Committee Coordinator, Newsletter Editor and two other elected members.

The GAFS will continue the work of the previous informal GAF network in holding triennial symposia on gender in aquaculture and fisheries, inviting presentations on all relevant topics, and encompassing theme sessions, panels, workshops and training sessions according to current and projected priorities. The reports, papers and other products of these symposia will be published and disseminated widely. The Section will also collaborate with other professional societies in promoting and conducting women/gender sessions and events. Our website contains more information on the past and forthcoming events and their products, including the 8 previous symposia on women in fisheries/gender in aquaculture and fisheries held since 1998 by the Asian Fisheries Society (https://www.genderaquafish.org/).

The Triennial General Meeting (TGM) of the Gender in Aquaculture and Fisheries Section is held in conjunction with the GAF symposium and provides the venue for electing the officers of the Section and for conducting business of the Section.

The GAFS does not have a membership fee and membership is open to all members of the Asian Fisheries Society interested in the GAFS objectives.