Nikita Gopal

Dr. Nikita Gopal is Principal Scientist & Head, Extension, Information & Statistics Division, at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (ICAR-CIFT), Kochi, Kerala, India with over 27 years’ experience in fisheries.

She is a founding member, and currently the Chair, Gender in Aquaculture and Fisheries Section (GAFS) of the Asian Fisheries Society (AFS). She is also Chair of the Asian Fisheries Social Science Research Network (AFSSRN) of the AFS. 

Over the past 15 years, she has been researching women’s contributions and challenges in the sector in India. Through action research projects she has engaged with stakeholders at the grassroots, leading multi-disciplinary teams for identification, co-creation and transfer of suitable technologies to improve livelihoods and reduce drudgery of fisherwomen. 

She was recently awarded the AFS Merit Award for her leadership of the GAF Section, which organises the Global Conference on Gender in Aquaculture & Fisheries (GAF), the ninth edition of which will be held in October this year in Thailand. GAF Section is currently developing a gender monitoring schema for NbS in Aquaculture projects in SE Asia.