Women play a vital role in the fishery sector. They are involved in various aspects of coastal fisheries and increasingly engaged as middle sellers, buyers and in the development of value added products. In the Solomon Islands, they dominate the unskilled and semi-skilled labour force in tuna processing industry but earn a much lower wage compared to their male counterparts working in similar jobs. However, women's contribution to the fishery sector is often overlooked or minimized. Therefore are often left out of technical and capacity building initiatives and in community consultations.
There is an increasing number of women involving in fisheries sciences and management across the Pacific, and it is worth exploring the factors enabling women to invest in this field where they can get better earning and contribute in the decision -making that shape the fisheries sector. But women will continue to be marginalized in the fishery sector as officials or fishers and farmers if government policies and strategies are not gender sensitive.