AUTHOR=Issifu Ibrahim , Dahmouni Ilyass , Deffor Eric Worlanyo , Sumaila U. Rashid 

TITLE=Diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Blue Economy: Why they matter and how do we achieve them?

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Political Science

VOLUME=Volume 4 - 2022

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/political-science/articles/10.3389/fpos.2022.1067481

DOI=10.3389/fpos.2022.1067481

ISSN=2673-3145

ABSTRACT=The Blue economy has captured the attention of diverse interests to the ocean and there is rising concern about making it more equitable and inclusive. As it currently stands, diversity, social equity and inclusion considerations have not been foregrounded in the discourse surrounding the blue economy and are continuously overlooked and undervalued. This paper reviews the ongoing social inequalities in the blue economy and distribution of benefits and costs across different groups in society. It also explores why equity matters, and how it can be achieved. Mirroring the call for members of disadvantaged or marginalized social groups to receive a fair share of the returns, which may be more than they have been granted to date. This paper argues that the exclusion of equity considerations within the blue economy investments can undermine ocean-based activities such as marine wildlife conservation initiatives that may disrupt the ocean sustainability agenda.