Applying a gender lens to the constraints faced by fishers of Kashmir

Abstract

The objective of this study was to uncover the constraints faced by fisher men and fisher women of Kashmir. A pretested interview schedule was used to analyze the constraints faced by fishers of Wular (60), Dal (60) and Manasbal (40) lakes. Constraints were categorized and their severity was measured using a 5-point scale. Weighted average technique was used to analyze and rank various constraints. Non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test was used to check if there was a significant difference between the constraints faced by fisher men and fisher women. The results revealed that psycho-social constraints were ranked first by fisher women. However, production constraints were ranked first by fisher men. A statistically significant difference was found between the constraints faced by fisher men and fisher women highlighting the importance of the application of gender lens in the analysis.