I am a cross-disciplinary PhD student within the Plymouth Institute of Education and the School of Biological and Marine Sciences, working in collaboration with the Manta Trust to explore and improve women's access to the ocean in tropical coastal communities. My participatory action research focuses on exploring how women and girls in the Maldives, West Papua, São Tomé and Príncipe, St. Lucia, Mozambique, and a Māori community in Aotearoa New Zealand access the sea for recreation, barriers to ocean access, mediators that enable women to access the ocean more, and the impacts of increased ocean access and connection. As part of the research, I worked with Aminath Zoona of Salted Ventures Swimmers, and communities in the Maldives, to co-develop a female-focused swimming and snorkelling instructor training programme to improve ocean access in Rasdhoo, Ukulhas and Fuvahmulah islands: https://www.mantatrust.org/ocean-women

 

Prior to starting the PhD I completed a BA (Hons) in Childhood and Disability Studies and an MSc in Marine Environmental Management. From 2018-2022, I managed the Manta Trust's education and outreach initiatives, firstly in the Maldives and then as part of the core team, based in the UK and working with 25 affiliate projects worldwide. In the Maldives, I worked with local organisations, schools and community groups to develop marine outreach initiatives and the Baa Atoll Manta Festival, both focused on experiential learning. Here, I learnt that many women and girls had never swum or snorkelled. After four years in the Maldives, I started developing my PhD proposal and in doing so discussed this ocean access disparity with organisations working in multiple tropical coastal communities worldwide. With support from the Manta Trust, I secured funding from the COMO Foundation, the Enjoolata Foundation and public fundraising initiatives, and started the PhD in April 2022.

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