Can innovation empower? Reflections on introducing tubular nets to women seaweed farmers in Zanzibar

Abstract

In Zanzibar, seaweed farming is a small-scale but important livelihood activity carried out mainly by women. Women producers are, however, confronted with many challenges: inadequate technology, climatic variations, low yields, economic inefficiencies and social and cultural constraints. Tubular nets – an innovation piloted in the context of the Sea PoWer initiative, are showing promise over the traditional ‘off-bottom’ peg and rope technology to improve seaweed productivity and local ecosystem conditions. However, tubular nets are used in deeper waters, and thus, require swimming or boat handling skills that most women do not have. Our central argument is that innovations that do not change gender relations and result in women’s empowerment cannot be regarded as effective. Reflecting on one year of tubular net trials under the Sea PoWer initiative and on the implementation of its innovative ‘innovation-cum-empowerment’ approach, and using insights from the producers themselves elicited through an enquiry combining the Theory of Planned Behavior, innovation diffusion and gender analysis, we assess the transformative potential of the introduction of the tubular net innovation on women’s lives and status. We discuss the remaining challenges that need to be lifted and draw lessons of wider resonance to the technology adoption and gender transformative agendas.