Jayapura, Jubi – Indigenous women from Enggros Village (IBAYAUW community), took to the shores of Youtefa Bay on Thursday (April 24, 2026), clearing piles of waste from the area known as the “Women’s Forest,” a vital customary space increasingly threatened by pollution.

The cleanup, led by the IBAYAUW Community—an Indigenous women’s group from Enggros—marked Kartini Day and brought together a coalition of institutions, including the Papua Provincial Environmental Agency, the Papua Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BBKSDA), the Jayapura City Environmental Agency, the Rumah Bakau Jayapura community, and students from Cenderawasih University.

Petronela Merauje, who initiated the effort, the action was more than symbolic—it was a response to mounting environmental pressure on a space deeply tied to Indigenous women’s roles and survival.

“Women are at the forefront of protecting our customary territories,” she said. “The Women’s Forest is one of our greatest sources of life, and we must continue to safeguard it together.”

Long regarded as both a cultural space and a source of food, the Women’s Forest serves as what Merauje describes as a “kitchen” for the people of Enggros and surrounding communities. In recent years, however, the area—along with Youtefa Bay—has become one of the city’s most visible waste accumulation sites.

The mounting pollution has raised concerns about long-term damage to coastal ecosystems and marine habitats that sustain local livelihoods.

Merauje urged women across Jayapura to take collective responsibility in protecting the area, warning that neglect could erode both environmental and cultural foundations. She also called on the Jayapura City Government to take the issue seriously and enforce stricter measures, including sanctions against those who dispose of waste indiscriminately.

“I feel responsible, as a daughter of this land, to keep our environment clean,” she said. “So that those of us living here can continue to depend on the forest and the bay for our future.”

Meanwhile, Head of the Papua Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BBKSDA Papua), Johny Santoso, praised the initiative as a concrete demonstration of public concern for conservation.

He noted that Youtefa Bay includes both protected forest areas managed by the provincial government and the Youtefa Bay Nature Tourism Park under BBKSDA Papua.

Johny stressed that waste management must be handled in an integrated way—addressing both upstream and downstream sources—as several rivers flow into the bay.

“If waste continues to enter protected forests and conservation areas, it will affect ecosystems, including mangrove forests. If mangroves are damaged, community livelihoods such as fishing will also be disrupted,” he said.

He urged residents to dispose of waste properly so that the problem can be addressed gradually.

The cleanup collected 200 bags of waste, from the Women’s Forest to the shores of Ciberi Beach—150 bags from the forest area and 50 from the coastline, ranged from plastic bottles, sanitary pads and baby diapers to medical waste and other household garbage. (*)