Engendering Ghana's seascape: Fanti fishtraders and marine property in colonial history

This article examines the colonial basis of gendered marine property rights in Ghana. In contrast to women farmers in Africa who typically have little or no property in or access to land, women fishtraders in Ghana have enjoyed unlimited access to marine resources. This has resulted from a series of colonial court cases beginning in 1898 in which local common property systems over territorial waters were dismantled and replaced with the European notion of freedom of the seas. In addition, fishtraders have been organized into cohesive and strong marketing organizations since the late 1800s. The history of open access to the sea and economic networks have been central in the ability of Fanti fishtraders to purchase canoes and other fishing equipment, hire anglers, and attain significant economic and social power in their communities.