Heather Gray

Heather Gray is a feminist geographer at the University of East Anglia’s (UEA) School of Global Development. Her doctoral research critically investigates labour dynamics in the Scottish fishing industry, with a focus on Northeast Scotland, through a wellbeing framework. The methods include ethnographic fieldwork, photovoice, and content analysis, to examine the everyday gendered experiences of fishermen across the pelagic, whitefish, and crab and creel sectors. Her work highlights the often-overlooked roles of women in fishing communities, including women partnered with fishermen, migrant and local fish processors. By applying an intersectional lens, Heather’s research shows how lived experiences of wellbeing are shaped by policy and structural conditions that affect people in unequal and often unrecognised ways. She reviews both these everyday wellbeing experiences and relevant fisheries policy in the context of Scotland’s national Wellbeing Economy framework, revealing gaps that must be addressed to inform the development of policymaking that supports everyone in the fishing community. This research demonstrates the need for intersectional policymaking to meaningfully address unequal power dynamics.