Addressing gender concerns is critically important in the fisheries sector because women play substantial yet often invisible roles across the entire fisheries value chain, particularly in developing and coastal economies. Fisheries are not limited to capture activities at sea; they include pre-harvest, post-harvest, processing, marketing, and resource management, where women’s participation is significant. Ignoring gender concerns leads to inequitable policies, inefficient resource use, and unsustainable livelihoods, while addressing them contributes to social justice, economic growth, and sustainable natural resource management. In many coastal and inland fishing communities, men are predominantly involved in fishing operations such as boat handling and net casting, whereas women are engaged in fish sorting, drying, smoking, processing, vending, and maintaining fishing gear. For example, in India’s coastal states like Kerala and Odisha, women fish vendors play a key role in supplying affordable fish to local markets and urban consumers. Despite their contribution, they often lack access to credit, cold storage, transport facilities, and formal market spaces. Gender-sensitive interventions such as women-only fish markets, access to microfinance, and improved infrastructure have shown positive impacts on