Last June 8 was World Oceans Day. The United Nations officially recognized the date as World Oceans Day in December 2008, although the Canadian government proposed setting such a day as early as 1992 during the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. It is a day dedicated to protecting the ocean from growing threats such as overfishing, pollution, and acidification caused by climate crisis. The theme of World Oceans Day 2019 is “Gender and the Ocean,” to draw attention to the need for gender equality in ocean-related activities such as marine research and resources development, fisheries and aquatic resources management, migration by sea and human trafficking, and policy-making. The focus on gender equality makes both men and women responsible for protecting the ocean. According to the World Bank [Gender and Environment], “Women play an essential role in the management of natural resources, including soil, water, forests and energy…and often have a profound traditional and contemporary knowledge of the natural world around them.”

Salinas, C. (2019, June 19). Gender and the ocean. The Manila Times, p. B7.