Hitampur Women Fisherfolk Cooperatives Association: The first ever fisherfolk association formed by and comprised of only women. What comes to our mind when we think of fisherfolks? Most of us probably envision hardworking men rising at dawn to go fishing and wearily returning home in the evening to their wives. But the picture is quite different in Hitampur village of Paikgacha Upazila. The village has a huge community of fisherfolk where 23 families who are dependent on fish, shrimp and crab farming live side by side. And yes!

The women of these families are fisherfolk too. Watching these women’s perseverance and solidarity, Uttaran’s Aprotiroddho Project’s Manager Mahfuza Khatun suggested them to register for a fisherfolk association so that they can legally lease jalmahals and access their rights as authentic fisherfolks. Mahfuza took the responsibility of completing all kinds of paperwork and other prerequisites such as renting an office space, collecting required documents and running to and fro from one government office to another.

The District Cooperative officer who was also a woman helped them as much as she could. Finally, by working together, these great women overcame all challenges and found the Hitampur Women Fisherfolk Association. Recently they have applied for a 3-year lease of a 24-acre jalmahal and are attending trainings on sustainable fish farming. We are truly amazed at what women can accomplish when they support each other and appreciate these women’s unity and dedication.