Title: Evaluating the roles of women in the artisanal fisheries sector of Sierra Leone: A case study of Tombo, Goderich, Shenge, Katta, Konakridee and Yeliboya fishing communities.

This study evaluated women’s roles in six major coastal communities in Sierra Leone. The study focuses on the importance of women’s access to fish and cost, involvement in community decision-making, romantic interest, and unwanted sexual harassment to promote equality and empowerment. In Sierra Leone, cultural taboos and norms have affected and limited women in the fishing sector. This has resulted in massive competition between fish mammies and middle-aged processors. Forty-eight percent of processors find romantic interest attractive, and 36% are very attracted to fishermen using this as a manipulating method to accumulate money or catch from their fishermen. However, women cannot participate in decision-making because of their low level of education, which affects their daily activities and livelihoods. The study also examines women’s contributions to family and fishery activities, including fishing, fish processing and trading, and financial management. It outlines the fundamental difficulties and barriers experienced by young women, which prohibit them from receiving equal treatment and participation in their communities. The study further discusses women’s vital need for financial aid and capacity building in the areas of processing and preservation. It also highlights the need for infrastructure development in fishing communities, such as construction of a good road network, fish-processing centres, preservation facilities, and improved smoke ovens.