ORCID
- Florence Barraud: 0009-0004-2630-144X
Abstract
Vast gender inequalities restrict women’s and girls’ access to ocean spaces, particularly in the tropical majority. Globally, 68% of women cannot swim, compared to 43% of men. In many coastal communities, women are key stewards of highly biodiverse yet vulnerable marine environments that people rely upon for food security, livelihoods, culture, and coastal protection. Being able to swim is imperative for enabling access to the dominant environment and a core recreational, educational, and economic space. This study aimed to explore and increase women’s and girls’ recreational ocean access in the Maldives, a tropical majority island nation.Utilising a pragmatic feminist approach, the research draws on semi-structured interviews with 42 Maldivian people, a questionnaire with 700 Maldivian people, and the co-development of a Programme of Change (PoC). The PoC comprised a female-focused swimming and snorkelling instructor training and mentoring programme conducted across three islands.Findings reveal that ocean access is intersectional and highly contextual, yet shaped by persistent gendered disparities. Key barriers included socio-cultural norms, fear and risk, development, technology, and ‘hustle culture’, and limited access to effective learning opportunities. Conversely, access was enabled through inclusive learning opportunities and efforts to challenge norms and change mindsets. Ocean experiences created wide-ranging impacts, including improved physical and mental wellbeing, strengthened ocean literacy and marine citizenship, expanded livelihood pathways, and shifts in social attitudes towards female participation. Notably, impacts rippled: one ocean-engaged person (particularly females who became role models) often inspired, engaged, or educated several others, revealing a propensity for ocean experiences to inspire civic engagement. The PoC provided a real-world case study of these dynamics, demonstrating the potential of locally led, female-focused initiatives to foster positive change.Overall, this study contributes an important tropical majority, gendered perspective to ongoing discussions in ocean literacy, marine citizenship, equitable conservation, and blue health fields. It demonstrates how ocean experiences can, and should, be facilitated across the Maldives, and highlights how investing in women and girls can generate multiplier effects, supporting more socially and environmentally resilient coastal communities.
Awarding Institution(s)
University of Plymouth
Award Sponsors
The Manta Trust, Catemwood House, Norwood Lane, Corscombe Dorset UK
Supervisor
Alun Morgan, Sian Rees, Martin Attrill, Guy M.W. Stevens
Document Type
Thesis
Publication Date
2026
Embargo Period
2026-08-13
Deposit Date
August 2026
Additional Links
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Recommended Citation
Barraud, F. (2026) Exploring and Increasing Women’s and Girls’ Recreational Ocean Access in a Coastal Community in the Tropical Majority. Thesis. University of Plymouth. Available at: http://www.mantatrust.org/ocean-women
