Seaweed cultivation: India
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No sex barrier in Seaweed cultivation
Dec 25 2014
Women dive deep to weed out gender barrier to make a living
Arockiaraj Johnbosco
In Gulf of Mannar, Seaweed cultivation is a boon for the fairer sex. As heavy winds lash the Rama nathapuram coast, A Mariam mal and her niece M Rasakka sit outside their shanty and stare listlessly at the turbulent sea -the same blue space that swallowed their tiny fishing hamlet and their friends who ventured in to eke out a living that fateful morning on December 26, 2004. But the two can't wait for the gale to calm to take on the waves.Every day lost comes at a price. “The tide at this time is dangerous as the winds are strong and unpredictable. Four women who went diving recently drowned,“ says Mariammal.“But if this continues, we have no choice. We will have to say our prayers and enter the ocean,“ she says. Mariammal and Rasakka, who live in Sadaimunivalasai, 30km from Ramanathapuram, are among 5,000-odd women divers who have turned breadwinners for their families after they lost their men to the tsunami.
But diving for seaweed in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mannar is not merely a source of income for women in hamlets along the Ramanathapuram coast, starting from Valinokkam to Pamban. For many , it's also the road to gender empowerment in a deeply patriarchal society -fisherfolk treat the sea as a male preserve, with the women usually confined to the task of selling the produce or processing it.
As dawn breaks, these women head into the water with a pair of goggles and makeshift flippers. Till noon they harvest seaweed, which is then carted off to the market for supply to a growing food processing industry . Carrageenan extracted from dry weed is used in foods and cosmetics including toothpaste, soft drinks and chocolates.
“Life hasn't been easy though,“ says Rasakka. “Not only has the harvest dropped drastically , we are also frequently harassed by forest officials who say this is a protected area. “Ma riammal and Rasakka are first generation divers, who found themselves at the crossroads after the giant roads after the giant waves swept away most members of their family. Rasakka, 35, had never ventured into the sea, until tsunami. In most fishing villages, it is considered taboo for women to enter the sea.Tamil Nadu's coast is divided into four sub-divisions -Coromandel, Palk Bay , Gulf of Mannar and the western stretch.While the church plays a big role in the Gulf of Mannar and the western coast, village councils dictate terms in Coromandel and Palk Bay areas. Although each hamlet has its own character, all of them discourage women from setting out into the sea.
