Amid shared laughter and collective reflection, a group of women of the sea from the coves in Capital Azul Foundation’s TURF-Reserve program took part in a series of workshops aimed at boosting women’s participation in spaces related to Voluntary Protection Zones.

This pathway to promote their leadership and confidence took a comprehensive approach to the strategies, challenges and gaps identified in a study conducted with Fundación Mujeres de Mar (PDF in Spanish) and worked on collectively at the Women’s Gathering for TURF-Reserves, ranging from confidence in speaking up to reconnecting physically and emotionally with the ocean.

“Communication tools for women’s leadership” was the workshop that opened this series of activities, organized with support from BHP Foundation. It focused on developing practical communication skills to increase women’s confidence when taking part in, leading and representing their organizations at meetings, plenary sessions or before institutional authorities.

United by the sea

On a cold, gray autumn morning, a group of women began to gather at La Caleta beach in Maitencillo. Fearful but emboldened by their collective strength, they gradually let go, breaking down physical barriers and building new confidence in the water during a sea immersion workshop facilitated by Fundación Nademos.

With shining eyes and radiating an overflowing, contagious joy, one of the participants said something that seemed to echo for everyone: “Today was a rebirth.” One by one they came out of the water transformed, renewed by the salt water and by a historical memory bathed by the ocean.

For Carla Baáez, from the Maitencillo Fishers Union, the series of workshops was a meaningful experience that brought her closer to the sea in new ways. “Every workshop we shared, especially these last two, has been very enriching. It was challenging to get into the sea in the cold. In my case, not being a fully confident swimmer was a challenge, but, gosh, I felt safe thanks to all my colleagues and the women from Fundación Nademos. I’m leaving with a heart full of new experiences from each workshop: meeting different women, new women, with experiences that enrich us.”

Weaving a network that is just setting sail

“I had been in the water swimming many times, but today was different because a very powerful energy was created by the fact that we were a group of only women, and on such a cold day… it created an inner strength,” recalled Jazmín Durán, from the Ventanas Fishers Union, reflecting the feeling of a day that defied even the cold wind of the central coast.

The series did not end in the sea, but around a shared table. In the last workshop, needles, thread and pencils briefly replaced wetsuits. On a shared piece of fabric that served as a canvas, participants used embroidery, drawing and writing to capture the fears they had overcome, their laughter and, above all, their vision of the role they play in conserving the TURF-Reserves.

“In the communication tools workshop, although there was a lot of embarrassment at first, everyone took part and they kept each other company in that embarrassment, which is very similar to what happened in the immersion workshop, where many of us were very cold and others were very afraid because they either couldn’t swim or didn’t know what the activity would be like. And I feel that working together, also with Fundación Nademos, that support helped them let go and enter the sea with confidence, which was ultimately our goal, to help narrow the gap in access to the water. And with this last workshop, their desire to keep collaborating and to show up more in these spaces linked to TURF-Reserves became more tangible,” Carola Benítez added.

Activities like these seem to underline a deeper feeling: TURF-Reserves are not only no-take zones for protecting species, but also spaces for community transformation. By empowering the voices of women of the sea, ensuring their leadership in union assemblies and strengthening their physical and emotional bond with the ocean, we are not only restoring biodiversity underwater. Stitch by stitch, we are weaving a stronger network of care to safeguard the future of fishing coves and the well-being of coastal communities. The journey continues, and we chart the course together.