Sunarti (50), a resident of Timbulsloko Village, Sayung District, Demak Regency, Central Java, has been working as a fisherwoman for over ten years. It all started when her area was hit by tidal flood. Since 2010, Timbulsloko Village, Sunarti’s birthplace, has been hit by flood. Residents in the village, including Sunarti, have only two choices in the face of a disaster: move away or adapt.

Due to limited funds, Sunarti chose to adapt. The first adaptive step she made was to elevate the house so that her family could still stay in the house she inherited from her late husband. Sunarti also adapted by taking up a new job as a fisherwoman. 

Realizing that she has no seafaring skills, Sunarti learns from her brother, who had previously switched jobs to become a fisherman. “I learned how to drive a boat, fish, and set fish nets and traps within one week,” said Sunarti.

While working at sea, Sunarti faced various life-threatening challenges. One day, the ship Sunarti was riding capsized when hit by a wave. Sunarti, who at that time went out to sea without any means of protection and could not swim, almost drowned. While trying to turn the ship over, Sunarti’s forehead and temple were hit by the ship and bruised.

From betting on her life for about six hours at sea, Sunarti can pocket a maximum of IDR60,000 per day. If she’s unlucky, she can only get IDR5,000. The money is used for daily needs. The remaining is saved up to buy a ship so that Sunarti doesn’t keep borrowing her brother’s ship.

Even though she has been working in the sea for more than a decade, Sunarti has not been administratively recognized by the state as a fisherwoman. Having said that, with a fisherman’s card, Sunarti can get protection in the form of work accident insurance and life insurance. With this card, Sunarti can also access government assistance programs for fishermen.

Sunarti is not alone, there are dozens of other fisherwomen in Timbulsloko who are struggling to get fisherman cards. First of all, they have to change their employment status on the identity card (KTP). As of now, the status of employment in Sunarti’s KTP is private employee. Some of her fellow fisherwomen’s job titles are housewife.

Based on the record of the Indonesian Fisherwomen’s Association (PPNI), there were 31 fisherwoman in Demak Regency who succeeded in obtaining recognition from the state in 2019. The women struggled for nine months until they were finally able to obtain recognition as fisherwomen. Going forward, PPNI will continue to assist fisherwomen in Timbulsloko Village and other areas in Demak to obtain their rights.