Along the banks of the Nile River lies the bustling town of Bor. Each day, the sun rises over the vibrant fish markets, where salted, preserved fish are spread out. Amidst this daily hustle, a group of women is reshaping their lives and community through the fish trade, breaking away from traditional gender roles.

One such woman is 40-year-old Abul Ajac, a mother of four whose children are studying in Kakuma camp in Kenya. Ajac began her fish business in 2020 in Bor town to support her children’s education. “I joined the business because of my children,” she says. “I don’t earn much from it, but it’s a business I could manage as a woman. You know, women cannot go looking after cows. We also don’t have the means to open big shops in the market or try other male-dominated businesses.”

Ajac heads to the riverbank every morning to buy fresh fish from the fishermen. She assigns young men to clean and salt the fish, then spreads them out to dry in a designated area near the riverbanks. “Depending on how hot the sun is, it can take three to four days for the fish to dry properly,” Ajac explains, noting that she sells some of the fish across South Sudan’s borders. “I take some to sell in the market here in Bor, and the rest I pack into sacks and send to Uganda and Congo to sell.”

The sacks are sewn into what the traders call “bundles,” each containing at least 500 fish pieces. “My profit from a bundle can be about USD 50 or USD 100 after deducting the costs for tax, transport, and other expenses,” Ajac says. “I add this little money to what my husband or relatives provide, and I send it to the children,” she adds, expressing happiness at seeing her primary school children progress in their studies.

Sixty-five-year-old Diing Arok, a mother of six, is also a fish trader in Bor town. She ventured into the business two years ago, driven by the country’s economic crisis. “Times were very hard; some days, my family would go to bed hungry because there was no food,” Arok explains. “I saw many women entering the fish business, so I decided to try it, and now, with this income, I am happy that I can provide a balanced diet for my children, and we no longer sleep hungry.”

However, the women traders sometimes incur losses, as illustrated by an incident in June when Ugandan authorities impounded several trucks carrying salted fish from Bor traders at the Elegu and Epondwe border points. Yar Mabior, another fish trader in Bor, shared her experience, stating, “When the fish is left in the trucks as they resolve their issues, the fish turns black and cannot be sold. Yet, we spend a lot of money to process the fish, and we end up losing all that money, which affects us in raising our children.”

Mabior also highlighted other challenges they face. “Water from the river floods the area where we dry the fish, which affects us. We would appreciate it if the drying area could be raised to prevent water damage, and we also need tents for drying the fish.”

Approximately 200 women are involved in the fish trade in Bor, according to Peter Isaac, the Secretary for Finance at the Fish Traders Association in Bor. “Some are in Lodyar, others in Yonagai, and others in Ngoi,” Isaac says, reflecting on the women’s progress. “When some of them joined the business, they looked stressed and would easily get tired, but now I see many of them have become more comfortable as they earn money and provide for their families.”

As the women of Bor redefine their roles and improve their economic standing, they show how financial independence fosters wellbeing. Their work supports their families and unlocks new opportunities, forging their identity through leadership and determination.

This article is part of The Niles Issue #19, The Feminine & The Nile, produced by Media in Cooperation and Transition (MiCT) with financial support from the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). It is part of the initiative The Niles: Strengthening Media Capacities and Networks in the Nile Basin, supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and commissioned by the German Federal Foreign Office (AA). The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of SIWI, GIZ, the German Federal Foreign Office, or MiCT.