Gendered Dimensions of Blue Economy Participation Around Lake Victoria, Kenya

Gender inequality remains one of the most significant yet under-addressed barriers to a truly sustainable blue economy. Lake Victoria, Africa's largest freshwater lake, sustains millions of livelihoods across fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, and transport along Kenya's shores, yet equitable access to its economic benefits is undermined by deep-rooted gender disparities. This study provides the first primary, gender-disaggregated survey evidence on blue economy participation, income distribution, governance representation, and environmental vulnerability across Busia, Kisumu, and Siaya counties, contributing to Kenya's Blue Economy. Pursuing four objectives: documenting participation, assessing income disparities, evaluating BMU governance representation, and examining environmental perceptions. A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted in November 2025 by the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), engaging 154 purposively sampled respondents across four BMU sites and analyzing data using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Findings reveal stark gender imbalances: men dominate capture fisheries (100%) and transport (91.7%), while women are concentrated in cage aquaculture (87.5%) and lower-margin post-harvest roles. A striking 91.7% confirmed income gaps driven by cultural norms barring women from fishing vessels, limited capital access, and lower educational attainment. Governance representation is deeply inequitable, with men rated as adequate by 95.8% of respondents compared to 37.5% for women and only 8.3% for persons with disabilities (PWDs). Compounding these inequalities, 75% reported Lake Victoria's deterioration, with overfishing (87.5%), rising water levels (79.2%), and pollution (75%) as primary threats. These findings demonstrate that gender inequality is a structural constraint to sustainable blue economy development. Recommendations include enforcing constitutional gender quotas, targeted credit schemes for women and youth, community-led cultural norm change, and mainstreaming disability inclusion in fisheries policy, offering evidence-based pathways toward a resilient, gender-equitable blue economy.