Indonesian mother of six aims to keep Papuan tradition alive by saving mangroves in women-only forest

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.