Prime Highlights
- Dr. Bhavani Rao highlighted the growing role of women entrepreneurs in strengthening India’s blue economy through sustainable seaweed enterprises.
- The India International Seaweed Expo & Summit showcased how responsible business models can support coastal livelihoods while protecting marine ecosystems.
Key Facts
- Dr. Rao participated as a panel speaker at the 7th India International Seaweed Expo & Summit held at ICAR–Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute in Kochi.
- Teams from AMMACHI Labs and the Center for Women’s Empowerment & Gender Equality engaged with industry, research, and policy stakeholders to support women-led seaweed businesses.
Background:
Dr. Bhavani Rao, UNESCO Chair for Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality and Dean at the Amrita School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, spoke as a panelist at the 7th India International Seaweed Expo & Summit held at ICAR–Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute in Kochi.
Speaking at the panel, Dr. Rao referred to her hands-on work with women-led seaweed projects under the “Blue is the New Pink” initiative. She spoke about programmes that have helped over 200 coastal women take up sustainable seaweed farming and related businesses, showing how the sector can create livelihoods while also protecting marine life.
Dr. Rao said seaweed businesses led by women can strengthen coastal economies. She said these initiatives help women earn a living, improve ocean health, and promote the use of seaweed in daily diets. She underlined the need to move beyond isolated pilot projects and instead adopt integrated, whole-system models that link cultivation, enterprise development, nutrition, and ecological responsibility.
During the discussions, Dr. Rao warned that development efforts should not create new inequalities. She said growth in the seaweed sector must be planned carefully, with women given an active role in decision-making at every stage of the value chain.
She said empowering women entrepreneurs is essential for an inclusive blue economy in India and added that the seaweed industry should grow in a way that respects both society and the environment.
Along with the panel discussions, teams from AMMACHI Labs and the Center for Women’s Empowerment & Gender Equality (CWEGE) also took part in the Expo.
The discussions aimed to support women-led seaweed businesses and improve livelihoods in coastal communities.
