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Women power fish farming in Tripura but face deep structural inequalities.
ICIMOD Flickr
Across the ponds of Tripura, fish farming appears calm and steady. But beneath this surface lies constant, unseen work, much of it done by women. They feed fish, clean pond edges, manage inputs, and run households at the same time. Their days are long and demanding, often stretching beyond 13 hours. Yet, their role is rarely acknowledged.
In the villages of the Gomati district, aquaculture is more than a livelihood. It supports rural incomes, strengthens food security, and sustains everyday life. But this system rests on an imbalance. Women contribute a large share of the labour while having far less access to training, technology, credit, and decision-making. As India looks to expand fish production, an important question emerges. Who is really powering this growth, and why are they still left out of it?
A recent study titled “Gender dynamics in small-scale aquaculture-based livelihoods of Tripura, India,” published in Women's Studies International Forum (2026), reveals deep structural inequalities shaping who works, who decides, and who benefits in the fish farming economy of the state. It shows clear gaps between the work women do and the recognition they receive. The study is based on a survey of 120 fish farmers in Gomati district, including 60 men and 60 women. It looks at who does the work, who makes decisions, and who benefits from fish farming.
The findings are both important and concerning. Women play a major role in fish farming as well as household work. But they have less access to training, technology, and resources. They are also rarely part of key decisions. This creates a system where women’s labour is essential but not fully valued. As India aims to increase fish production and reduce imports, closing these gaps is not only about fairness. It is also necessary for improving productivity and strengthening the sector.
A growing sector with structural constraints
Tripura is among the leading inland fish-producing states in northeastern India. With a population of about 4.3 million and annual per-capita fish consumption of nearly 28 kilograms, fish is a staple component of local diets. However, domestic production, which is around 85,000 tonnes annually still falls short of demand, forcing the state to import roughly 34,000 tonnes of fish each year from West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and Bangladesh.
Expanding aquaculture production is therefore a strategic priority. But geography imposes limits. Nearly 73 percent of Tripura’s terrain is hilly, leaving only about 27 percent suitable for plains-based aquaculture expansion. Consequently, the future of the sector lies not in expanding areas but in intensifying productivity within existing small-scale ponds.
Smallholder aquaculture dominates the state. Most farms are family-run, low-investment systems that depend heavily on family labour and local inputs. These farms often operate as integrated livelihood systems, combining fish farming with livestock rearing and small-scale agriculture.
In such settings, labour division within households becomes critical and deeply gendered.
The hidden workforce of fish farming
The study shows that women play a major role in aquaculture, yet their work often goes unnoticed. In fish farming households, women manage both farm and home responsibilities. They feed fish, apply manure and fertilisers, clean pond edges, and help with stocking. Alongside this, they take care of cooking, childcare, washing, and other household tasks.
This creates a clear imbalance in working hours. Women spend about 13.5 hours a day on these combined responsibilities, while men work around 11 hours. Because of this heavy workload, women have very little time for training, skill building, or taking part in community decisions.
There is also a difference in the type of physical strain experienced. Men are more involved in tasks like harvesting, transporting, and selling fish, which require lifting heavy loads and travelling to markets. These activities are seen as more physically demanding. Women, on the other hand, deal with continuous fatigue from repetitive work across the farm and the household. Their effort is spread across many tasks, making it less visible but equally demanding.
The study’s drudgery index, which measures physical and psychological strain from work activities, reflects this difference. Men recorded a higher average drudgery score (39.0) compared with women (32.7), largely because they handle strenuous harvesting and marketing operations. Yet this metric obscures a key reality: women’s workloads extend across far more activities and longer hours.
Technology and information gaps
One of the most consequential findings of the study concerns technology adoption in aquaculture practices. Modern fish farming techniques—such as improved feed management, water quality monitoring, and disease control—can significantly boost productivity. However, access to these technologies remains uneven.
The study found that 40 percent of male fish farmers reported high levels of technology adoption, compared with only 11.7 percent of women. Several factors contribute to this disparity: lower levels of education among women, limited exposure to extension services, restricted mobility and social norms, and lack of access to financial resources and equipment.
Men also rely more heavily on formal information channels such as fisheries officers, panchayat networks, and training programmes. Women, by contrast, depend largely on informal sources—including self-help groups or occasional mobile phone access. This unequal access to knowledge directly affects productivity. Without exposure to improved technologies or advisory services, women farmers are less able to adopt practices that could increase yields or reduce labour burdens.
Ownership and decision-making: A persistent gap
Perhaps the most revealing findings relate to ownership and decision-making power within aquaculture households. The study shows that:
only 27 percent of women own their houses, compared with a large majority of male ownership.
women-headed households generally hold smaller land parcels, averaging 0.33 hectares compared to 0.57 hectares for men.
male farmers report higher average household income (₹2.56 lakh annually) than women (₹1.67 lakh).
These inequalities translate into unequal control over aquaculture enterprises. Men dominate decisions related to pond management, marketing, investment, and input purchases. Women often participate in farm labour but have limited authority over financial or operational decisions.
Overall empowerment scores in the study reflect this disparity. Men recorded an average empowerment score of 40.9, compared with 31.2 for women, indicating significant gender gaps across access to resources, participation, capability, and decision-making. This imbalance is not unique to Tripura. Across India and much of South Asia, aquaculture remains embedded in social structures where asset ownership, mobility, and financial control largely rest with men. But the consequences extend beyond gender equality—they affect sectoral productivity.
Why gender equality matters for aquaculture growth
Closing gender gaps in aquaculture can improve both livelihoods and productivity. Studies across agriculture show that when women have equal access to resources, training, and income, farms perform better and households become more secure. Women also tend to spend more on food, education, and health, which strengthens overall well-being.
In Tripura, women already support fish farming in many ways. Many also manage livestock or small farming activities alongside it. This helps families earn from multiple sources and reduces risk. There are also opportunities in areas like fish processing and ornamental fish, which can bring higher incomes. However, these require training, credit, and access to markets, which women often lack.
If women are supported to take part more actively in these areas, aquaculture can grow in a more balanced and sustainable way.
What needs to change
Simple, practical steps can make a difference. Joint ownership of land, ponds, and homes can give women a stronger voice in decisions and better access to credit. Training programmes need to be designed around women’s daily schedules and local realities. More women trainers can also improve participation.
Access to information is equally important. Mobile-based advisory services, community centres, and self-help groups can help women learn new practices and improve productivity. At the same time, labour-saving tools such as improved feeding systems and better pond equipment can reduce daily workload and free time for other activities.
There is also a need to support women as entrepreneurs. Government schemes that provide financial support for fisheries can focus more on women-led enterprises. Training in processing, packaging, and marketing can open up new income opportunities.
Finally, better data is essential. Without tracking women’s participation, their work remains invisible in policy and planning.
Tripura’s aquaculture sector is growing but faces limits in land and resources. Improving productivity in existing ponds is the way forward. This will not be possible without recognising the role of women.
If these gaps continue, growth will remain limited. But if addressed, aquaculture can become more productive, more inclusive, and more resilient. Because the future of fish farming depends not just on water and land but also on the people who sustain it every day.