“I consider mangrove seedlings my babies. That’s why I need to protect them,” says Evi, a fisherwoman in East Belitung, Bangka Belitung Islands.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day today, let us reflect on how women like Evi have become increasingly indispensable in coastal and marine conservation. 

By recognizing their roles and strengths, we can expect women to emerge as catalysts for change. A study revealed that mixed gender resource management teams were more effective than men-only groups in strengthening resource governance and conservation.

Across Indonesia, women play a crucial role in protecting the coastal environment, especially by leading coastal and marine conservation efforts.

Evi fishes for nyulo (crabs) and sells her catch and that of her husband at the market. While fishing, she also plants mangrove seedlings in the river basin and maintains the seedlings' growth.

In Indramayu, West Java, Sariah, a member of a forest farmer group, produces a variety of mangrove-based products. From initially planting mangroves, Sariah and other women are now sustainably utilizing mangrove resources to produce syrup, chocolate, sweets and chips to be sold as souvenirs.

In the remote village of Enggros in Papua, a unique customary mangrove conservation system known as tonotwiyat (female forest) establishes specific mangrove areas to be managed exclusively by women of the local tribe. This mangrove forest not only provides essential ecosystem services for provision but also serves as a sociocultural sanctuary for women.