Transforming Work for Women in the Maldives: Addressing Gaps in Tourism and Fisheries

The “Study on Women’s Employment, Safety, and Mobility in the Maldives,” jointly prepared by the World Bank Group and A2F Consulting LLC, offers a comprehensive look into the gendered realities of two of the island nation’s cornerstone industries, fisheries and tourism. Conducted under the framework of the Maldives Country Partnership Framework (CPF) 2023–2027, the research incorporates fieldwork across seven atolls, drawing from a mix of surveys, focus group discussions, and in-depth interviews. The aim is not only to document barriers faced by women but also to chart clear, actionable pathways to more inclusive labor market outcomes. With women’s labor force participation languishing at 48.4%, far behind men’s 79.5%, the study underscores how entrenched social norms, limited access to training and finance, and a dearth of institutional support conspire to limit women’s economic agency in sectors that hold untapped potential for gender-equitable growth.

Unequal Shores in the Fisheries Sector

Women in the fisheries sector are overwhelmingly concentrated in post-harvest roles, processing smoked fish and fish paste, often from home in informal settings. These roles, while crucial to the sector, are poorly paid and culturally undervalued. Though 68% of fisheries workers surveyed hold formal contracts, the rest are informal workers, lacking social protections. Job satisfaction is reported to be relatively high, especially where women work near their homes and with their families. Yet systemic challenges loom large. Low and delayed wages, high operational costs, and inconsistent access to fish severely impact both productivity and financial stability. Safety is another area where perception and reality diverge. While 96% of workers feel safe at work, a quarter rate the treatment of female employees as “fair” or “poor,” and 4% report experiencing harassment or discrimination. Notably, the sector remains heavily gender-segregated: fishing and transport roles are still male-dominated, while leadership opportunities for women are rare, especially upstream in the value chain.

Tourism Offers Opportunity, But at a Cost

Tourism, the Maldivian economy’s beating heart, offers greater formalization and better employment infrastructure for women, yet significant gender disparities persist. Women are primarily found in guesthouses, booking services, and leisure activities, but remain largely absent from resort management and administrative leadership. While more than 75% of surveyed workers have formal contracts, income dissatisfaction is widespread. Workers in booking and accommodation services often report that the financial compensation does not reflect the long hours and emotional labor involved. Interviews reveal fatigue, burnout, and limited breaks during peak seasons, particularly among women. Despite this, job satisfaction remains high, driven by workplace culture, management support, and the intrinsic joy of hospitality. Social barriers also restrict women’s participation, especially resistance to working in mixed-gender or remote environments, such as resorts on isolated islands. The absence of childcare facilities further limits women's ability to commit to full-time roles, making tourism simultaneously empowering and burdensome.

Cross-Cutting Inequities and System Failures

Across both fisheries and tourism, a tangle of systemic inefficiencies thwarts women’s economic mobility. A major disconnect exists in job matching: while 78.6% of workers find jobs through personal networks, 48.9% of employers rely on social media for recruitment. This digital divide effectively marginalizes women, particularly those in rural areas with limited internet access. Formal employment correlates strongly with higher earnings, by more than 3,000 MVR per month on average, yet informal workers report higher job satisfaction due to greater flexibility, allowing them to juggle caregiving responsibilities. Still, larger companies are better equipped to provide employee benefits such as transportation, training, and safety infrastructure, which smaller enterprises often cannot afford. Training gaps remain acute. Women in fisheries require upskilling in areas like modern processing techniques, marketing, and compliance, while tourism workers seek leadership, language proficiency, and administrative training. Despite some employer-led programs, such as HESAP and Women on Boards workshops, access remains limited and sporadic.

Reimagining Equity: A Three-Pillar Strategy

The study proposes a three-pillar action plan to dismantle existing barriers and build a more inclusive labor market. Pillar one, Upskilling and Capacity Building, focuses on gender-sensitive training programs and vocational reforms. These include short-term pilot programs and mentoring networks, as well as long-term goals like creating a national online learning platform. Pillar two, Transforming Social Norms, emphasizes advocacy and public-private dialogue. Awareness campaigns, school curriculum reforms, and institutional partnerships aim to reshape attitudes that currently hinder women’s participation. Pillar three, Improving Financial Access and Market Opportunities, proposes grants, tailored loans, and a dedicated financing facility to enable female entrepreneurs to scale up their ventures. Digital platforms and certification schemes would improve visibility and credibility for women-led businesses. Childcare support, virtually absent today, is framed as a necessary structural reform, with workplace-supported or community-based childcare models recommended for future implementation.

Global Lessons for a Local Challenge

To inform its recommendations, the study draws from compelling international examples. In Indonesia’s Lombok region, community-based tourism empowered women through homestays and microfinance. In Cabo Verde, public-private partnerships advanced gender equity in tourism, with targeted financial products and childcare services. Kenya’s NYOTA project offered youth employment pathways while ensuring safe working conditions and grievance redress mechanisms. In Seychelles, women entered the male-dominated tuna industry through government-backed training and financing, transforming them into entrepreneurs. These case studies underscore the transformative potential of inclusive policies, coordinated governance, and sustained investment in human capital.

Altogether, the World Bank and A2F Consulting’s report provides not only a sobering diagnosis of the challenges faced by Maldivian women but also a forward-looking roadmap grounded in global best practices. If the recommendations are adopted and implemented with the same rigor that shaped the study, the Maldives could see a fundamental shift in how its women engage with, and lead in, two of its most vital economic sectors.