Indonesian mother of six aims to keep Papuan tradition alive by saving mangroves in women-only forest
AKARTA: Papua province’s Youtefa Bay, known for its azure waters and lush mangrove forests, has seen infrastructure development that has helped improve locals’ lives and the economy.
Cafes and restaurants have mushroomed there since the Youtefa bridge’s inauguration by then-Indonesian president Joko Widodo in 2019, for instance.
The striking steel-arched bridge spans 11.6km over the bay, connecting Jayapura city and Hamadi district in South Jayapura district to the Muara Tami district in eastern Jayapura. It has reduced the time taken to travel from Jayapura city to Muara Tami from an hour to 15 minutes.
But Papuan environmentalist Petronela Merauje has also witnessed the environmental cost of such development.
About 20 hectares of mangrove forests were cleared to make way for the project, news outlet Kompas reported in 2022.
Something few people know about, however, is the forest clearance’s disproportionate impact on women.
One of the most affected areas was the Women’s Forest, a traditional sacred space reserved for women in the community, said Petronela, 43. It is an important place to women from the indigenous Tobati village and Enggros village, where she is from.
As its name suggests, only women may enter the sacred forest to collect clams as part of a tradition called “Tonotwiyat”, which means “working in the forest”.
In the mangrove sanctuary, the Papuan women remove their clothes to swim and look for clams. In this way, their clothes do not get muddied, which could cause their skin to itch.
Any man who enters the forest may be fined 300,000 rupiah to 1 million rupiah.
In this traditional forest that is hundreds of years old, the women freely talk and share their grievances.
“We laugh freely in (the forest). We share stories with each other about problems in the village, government and on various issues such as education or health,” said Petronela, who is a single mother of six.
“When we return home, we will convey our discussion to the village administration, church or traditional leaders so that the problem can be resolved,” she said.
On a mission to protect Papua’s mangroves, women’s rights and local traditions, the woman affectionately as “Mama Nela” tells CNA how she has rallied the community over the years to take action and find solutions.
Her story is part of a series on everyday heroes on CNA’s Bahasa Indonesia site. Others who have been featured include a man who rescues abandoned babies and set up a welfare home, as well as an animal lover who feeds and looks out for stray cats.“THE FOREST HAS BECOME TRANSPARENT”
Rapid development has caused the mangrove forests in Youtefa Bay to shrink by more than half, from 514.24 hectares in 1967 to 233.12 hectares now. This is without taking into account the additional amount of land lost due to the clearing of the forest to make way for the construction of Youtefa bridge.
The deforestation has caused the women in Petronela’s village to worry they could be seen by outsiders when searching for clams.
“In the Women’s Forest, we felt a sense of freedom. But with the bridge, the forest has become transparent because the mangroves have been cut down, and we no longer feel comfortable,” Petronela said.
“THE FOREST HAS BECOME TRANSPARENT”
Rapid development has caused the mangrove forests in Youtefa Bay to shrink by more than half, from 514.24 hectares in 1967 to 233.12 hectares now. This is without taking into account the additional amount of land lost due to the clearing of the forest to make way for the construction of Youtefa bridge.
The deforestation has caused the women in Petronela’s village to worry they could be seen by outsiders when searching for clams.
“In the Women’s Forest, we felt a sense of freedom. But with the bridge, the forest has become transparent because the mangroves have been cut down, and we no longer feel comfortable,” Petronela said.
There is also an increasing amount of waste washing into Youtefa Bay, resulting in a declining catch of fish and clams.
“Youtefa Bay has become the largest waste accumulation site in Jayapura city, with most of the trash concentrated in the Women’s Forest,” she said.
“Fish and shellfish catch are on the decline and this will also affect the city, as the seafood is supplied to local markets and restaurants.”
Mangroves not only serve as “protector” of the women in her village, but are vital to its food supply.
“The forest is vital to our food security (because) it contains a marine ecosystem which serves as a key source of livelihood for the people of Enggros village,” she said.
Mangroves serve as nurseries for fish and other marine animals. Scientists have said they help humanity in other important ways – protecting coastal communities from flooding and extreme weather, reducing erosion and storing carbon, hence mitigating the impact of climate change.
Research has also found that indigenous communities are crucial to climate action as many ecosystems within the areas they manage are in better health than those found outside these areas.
LAND IS NOW “TURNING GREEN”
Petronela’s journey as an activist began about 15 years ago when she joined a mangrove-planting effort of the environmental group Forum Peduli Port Numbay Green.
Six years ago, she founded the Ibayau Forest Farmers Group, a community of farmers. In 2021, she led an initiative with the group to clean up rubbish and plant mangrove seedlings in the Women’s Forest.
In three years, they have planted at least 20,000 mangrove seedlings and their efforts have begun to bear fruit.
“The seeds we planted have grown tall. The land that was previously barren is now turning green,” said Petronela, who also welcomes people from other villages around Youtefa Bay to come together to plant mangroves.
She encourages the women in her village to create a new income source by making items for sale from the fruit of mangrove trees.
“Mangrove fruit can be processed into syrups, ice-cream or jam. It can even be made into hand sanitiser, juice, batik dye or coffee,” she said.
After learning how to process mangrove fruit from YouTube videos, she taught her fellow villagers.
According to her, several processed mangrove products have received approval from the Indonesian National Agency of Drug and Food Control, a government agency which regulates and oversees the safety and quality of products in Indonesia, including food and beverages.
Petronela has also found a way to salvage some of the waste that pollutes Youtefa Bay, selling items such as repurposed plastic and glass vases as souvenirs to tourists.
“I WANT TO RAISE MORE MAMA NELAS”
Her efforts have been recognised by the Indonesian government. In 2023, Petronela received the Kalpatru Award from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, said to be the highest accolade for Indonesia’s environmental heroes.
The award has opened more doors for her and helped attract more assistance from various parties including the country’s central bank, Bank Indonesia.
Going forward, Petronela hopes to turn the mangrove cultivation programme into a more profitable enterprise for the community.
She is working on getting a halal certification for the syrup and ice-cream products developed from mangroves. She hopes to establish her own factory one day and hire women from her village as employees.
“Women must be more active in processing mangrove fruit into a variety of products to reap its full benefits. My dream is for them to one day be able to support their families,” she said.
Petronela wants the Women’s Forest to be revitalised and become a domestic tourist attraction for women from other provinces in Indonesia.
Her hope is that future generations of Papuans will continue her work in preserving the environment.
“I want to raise more Mama Nela(s),” she said.
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