Jakarta, IO – Hutan Perempuan (Women’s Forest) is a very sacred mangrove forest in Youtefa Bay, Jayapura, Papua. The name is based on the unique local wisdom practiced by the residents of the villages of Enggros and Tobati, namely that only women are allowed to enter the 8-ha forest.
The Enggros and Tobati women will come to the forest in groups of three to five to hunt for bia (a type of shellfish) to be consumed or sold in traditional markets. They call this customary activity Tonotwiyat (Tonot means mangrove forest and Wiyat means invitation).
Women’s Forest was born due to the division of tasks. The men are in charge of fishing in the sea, while the women are in charge of looking for clams and shrimps in the mangrove forest, explained Enggros village customary council chief John Sanyi, reported BBC News Indonesia.
Men are allowed to enter the forest to collect wood when there are no women in it. If violated, the customary council will demand a fine in the form of trinkets of different colors and values. The blue bead is equivalent to Rp1,000,000, the green one Rp500,000 and the white one Rp300,000.
According to Organes Meradju, a community leader, the existence of this women’s forest is not only limited to matter of food, but also a manifest of freedom for women. This is because there are several customary laws that restrict women as the “purest being.”
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Women are prohibited from gathering with men in para-para (village hall) so they are not exposed to conversations often laced with profanity. Thus, women’s forest provides a kind of sanctuary for women to gather and tell stories. “Female purity is strictly guarded in our customary law principles because they are the main figures in village life,” said Organes. (bp)