Nurlina, Island Fisherwoman

The island’s female warrior, Nurlina, is her name. Lina went to sea with her uncle since she was little because her father had died. She has to earn a living for her family. Her older brother was married and could only support his family alone.

She doesn’t go fishing with her uncle all the time because sometimes she feels uncomfortable. Her uncle’s boat also had to support his own child. When not fishing, Lina works repairing damaged nets and tying seaweed for a very small income, IDR 6,000 – 15,000 per day. It was the only job available to women on the island.

Lina really wants to have her own boat because by going to sea her income will be much greater. Government aid (Pangkajene Regency and Islands/Pangkep) in the form of small motorboats (katinting) is only given to men. The assumption is that fishers are only men. The ability of Lina and other women on the island to go to sea and fish is considered non-existent.

Sekolah Perempuan has opened up awareness that anyone has the right to be whatever they want and according to their abilities. Lina and her friends urged the Pangkep Regency Government to also provide boat/katinting aid to women because the fishing profession is not only for men. The process is long to convince the government because it is not easy to change the perspective that fishers can also be women. But in the end it worked.

Lina, not only uses the aid boat to go fishing (to earn a living). She realized that transportation at sea was difficult and expensive, so Lina also dedicated her boat to help women who were going for treatment at the nearest Pustu (Subsidiary Health Center) and children who were going to school, especially girls who had to cross to another island.

Lina’s struggle, representing the struggle of fisherwomen, was documented by Saidah, her friend who is also a member of Sekolah Perempuan. This is a process, women recording, documenting, writing and creating their own history because women’s history is often ignored. Moreover, the history of women being poor and living in remote areas.

Bravo to the YKPM South Sulawesi team who are increasingly strengthening island women who continue to fight to get their rights!