Women's Participation in Sri Lanka's Blue Economy: An Exploration of the Influence of Socio-Economic Factors

Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to examine the effect of socio-economic factors on women’s engagement in the blue economy of Sri Lanka, an important sector with low female representation and limited empirical studies. Women in the coastal areas of Sri Lanka have important functions in different economic activities within the blue economy, however, women are not fully included and economically empowered because of several barriers existing in the sector. Some of these barriers are low levels of participation in decision-making, limited access to markets and resources, and cultural factors. In that regard, the study seeks to address the existing knowledge gaps in these barriers and opportunities to establish a basis for the development of specific interventions and policies that can help support gender equality and women’s economic involvement in Sri Lanka’s blue economy. On the above background, this research seeks to establish the relationship between the following independent variables: Education Level, Income and Economic Resources, Legal and Policy Environment, Family and Social Support, and the dependent variable Women’s Involvement in the Blue Economy. The results show that all four independent variables are statistically significant in explaining women’s engagement in the blue economy, with Education Level and Family and Social Support having the highest effect. The required knowledge and skills to undertake maritime business are offered by education and the strong family and social networks provide women the support they require to be part of the blue economy. Further, Income and Economic Resources and the Legal and Policy Environment have a positive impact on women’s participation in the blue economy to a certain extent. Based on the above findings, it can be concluded that the improvement of education, economic capital, social capital, and legal capital can significantly increase women’s participation in the blue economy in Sri Lanka. The findings of the research can therefore be useful to policymakers and other stakeholders to propose interventions that are required to address gender discrimination in the marine sector and promote the economic growth of Sri Lanka. Several policies were recommended by the paper including increasing women’s literacy, financially supporting women for maritime activities, encouraging women’s role in the community, and ensuring the rights of women in the blue economy. Therefore, by paying attention to the above-proposed areas, the blue economy of Sri Lanka can be converted into a more inclusive by expanding the contribution of the women.