Understanding the Effects of Intersectionality on Coping Strategies During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Perspective of Small-Scale Cross-Border Fish Traders in Lake Chilwa, Malawi

Chikondi Manyungwa-Pasani, Emmanuel Kaunda, Kingdom Simfukwe (), Lisungu Banda, Netsayi Noris Mudege and Keagan Kakwasha
Additional contact information
Chikondi Manyungwa-Pasani: Department of Fisheries, Lilongwe P.O. Box 593, Malawi
Emmanuel Kaunda: Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries Science, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resource (LUANAR), Lilongwe P.O. Box 219, Malawi
Kingdom Simfukwe: Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries Science, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resource (LUANAR), Lilongwe P.O. Box 219, Malawi
Lisungu Banda: Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries Science, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resource (LUANAR), Lilongwe P.O. Box 219, Malawi
Netsayi Noris Mudege: WorldFish, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
Keagan Kakwasha: WorldFish, Lusaka 10101, Zambia

Social Sciences, 2025, vol. 14, issue 4, 1-19

Abstract: The global COVID-19 pandemic posed a significant threat to public health, inflicting enduring hardships upon humanity, particularly among vulnerable populations. Artisanal cross-border fish traders from developing countries like Malawi were severely impacted by imposed control measures. Gender inequalities exacerbated these challenges, forming the basis of this study on informal cross-border traders along the Malawi–Mozambique border near Lake Chilwa during the pandemic. Using an intersectional theory, this research explores how gender disparities were shaped by COVID-19, considering social determinants, consequences, and coping mechanisms in cross-border fish trading. The study employed a cross-sectional qualitative approach, collecting data from 169 participants through focus group discussions (FGDs), Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), the Cognitive Edge Sensemaker Tool, and the Emergency Market Mapping and Analysis toolkit (EMMA) between April and November 2022. Findings indicate that COVID-19 control measures disproportionately affected female cross-border fish traders, leading to increased human rights violations, particularly sexual exploitation and rape. These violations left women with enduring health traumas, including sexually transmitted diseases. Both men and women employed coping strategies that exposed women to further marginalization and human rights violations. Given the widespread nature of violence across borders, inter-country coordination is crucial to protect the rights of cross-border traders. Policy measures should focus on educating vulnerable women about reporting mechanisms for abusive practices and establishing local support systems where reporting mechanisms are lacking.

Keywords: fisheries; fish trade; gender; COVID-19; Malawi; Mozambique (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/4/213/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/4/213/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:14:y:2025:i:4:p:213-:d:1622373

Access Statistics for this article

Social Sciences is currently edited by Ms. Yvonne Chu

More articles in Social Sciences from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().