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. 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 Vice Chair, Asian Fisheries Social Science Research Network (AFSSRN) of the AFS and Secretary, Society of Fisheries Technologists of India (SOFTI) and Fellow of the Society (FSFT of SOFTI). For the past decade, she has been carrying out studies on gender in fisheries and aquaculture, documenting women’s contributions and challenges in small scale fishing, marketing, and processing. Her earlier work includes seafood trade and market analyses; and technology evaluation in fisheries. 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. Her current research interests include small scale fisheries, labour migration and women’s work in fish value chains. Recognising her sustained long-term contributions to gender in aquaculture and fisheries she was awarded the AFS Gold Medal Award in 2022.