Portland, OR – Seafood and Gender Equality (SAGE) earned two philanthropic grants totaling $715,000 from Builders Initiative Foundation and the Walton Family Foundation to further its mission to build a more inclusive, diverse, and equitable seafood sector.
Founded in 2020, SAGE is building a strong foundation for future impact and growth, increasing attention around the issues of gender inequality in the seafood sector, and sparking a movement to acknowledge the critical contributions of women who are invaluable, yet often invisible.
These grants send a strong signal that a dire need to address inequities in the seafood sector exists and that gender equality and empowering women are priorities. Jelani Odlum, Program Officer at Builders Initiative agrees and says, “By championing gender equality in the seafood industry, we are actively shaping the future we want to see. SAGE is urging seafood companies to evaluate their practices, address biases, and implement decisive measures to promote gender equality within their operations. We are pleased to partner with them to advance change in the industry and cultivate a more inclusive and sustainable seafood sector.”
For the next three years, this funding will support implementation of the Gender Equality Dialogues (GED) where seafood executives convene to align on the issues, commit to action, and leave equipped with the tools to advance equity within their operations. “We are so grateful to Builders Initiative Foundation and the Walton Family Foundation for this incredible support. Seafood companies need a strong and reliable workforce and are experiencing challenges in this,” says SAGE’s founder, Julie Kuchepatov, “Evaluating corporate policies and systems through an equity lens and enhancing them to go above and beyond compliance shows that a company values its employees’ contributions to its business.”
Fortune Fish and Gourmet, Acme Smoked Fish, and Seattle Fish participated in the year-long pilot cohort of the GED, which ended in July. A significant achievement of the GED is the finalization of public commitments to gender equality. GED participants commit to 1) serve as champions of a diverse and equitable seafood industry; 2) improve their understanding of how their existing practices and norms may limit or advance gender equity; and 3) engage in concerted efforts to support equal opportunity across the company, building workplaces where the success and well-being of employees of all genders is supported. Moving forward, every company participating in the GED must agree to these commitments and make efforts to achieve them with SAGE’s support. Leo Pradela, Program Officer at the Walton Family Foundation shares, “To find solutions that work for people and nature, we need the best ideas from everyone. The seafood industry has often left too many people out of the process. The foundation is impressed with the companies in the GED and their commitments to building gender equality in the seafood industry. Over 2,300 employees will be positively affected by the actions these companies take based on what they learned in the GED. We are excited to see this number substantially increase as other seafood companies step up and join future GED cohorts.”
Because the seafood sector is facing challenges on multiple fronts—from increasing scrutiny around human right’s violations in seafood production to an uncertain and volatile business climate—it has deprioritized introspection of its own role in improving the work experience of underserved people in the sector. However, all of these challenges are interrelated and can be addressed in tandem, especially when we band together. “We are thrilled to partner with SAGE in this critical endeavor and believe that by working together to foster equity and inclusion, we can make significant strides toward a more sustainable seafood sector,” said Sean O’Scannlain, CEO of Fortune Fish and Gourmet.
SAGE is currently recruiting participant companies for the next GED cohort, scheduled to begin in early 2025. To learn more, contact Becca Williams, SAGE’s Director of Gender Strategies at becca@seafoodandgenderequality.org.
Seafood and Gender Equality (SAGE), a fiscally sponsored project of Coastal Quest, envisions an inclusive seafood industry that embraces gender equality, leading to an abundant supply of environmentally and socially responsible seafood for future generations. SAGE’s mission is to uplift, amplify, and integrate diverse voices in the global seafood sector to build a more resilient industry. We achieve our mission by building community and capacity, supporting the seafood sector to mainstream gender in day-to-day operations, and educating and raising awareness. To learn more about SAGE and our efforts, visit www.seafoodandgenderequality.org.
