Mother’s Day: Nurlina, Female Fisherman Hero

Commemorating Mother’s Day, the Human Initiative presents stories of women warriors, especially for fishermen. Her name is Nurlina, the woman who is also commonly called Lina is a young woman born on March 18, 1988 who works as a fisherman in her village, Sabangko Island, Mattiro Bombang Village, Liukan Tuppakbiring District, Pangkajene Islands Regency (Pangkep), South Sulawesi.

Nurlina, Female Fisherman Hero

Nurlina is only one of many Indonesian women who is brave to fight for the rights of their people. She believes that there is nothing wrong with her decision to defend her life and rights as a fisherman.

Since childhood, Lina has been accustomed to going to the sea as a fisherman on her uncle’s boat. But she could not continue to do that because sometimes she felt uncomfortable. She also had to support her uncle’s family.

If she doesn’t go to sea, Lina will repair the damaged nets and tie seaweed for a very minimal wage, which is around 6,000-15,000 per day. She did that because it was the only job available to the island women.

This makes Lina want to have her own boat, because by going to sea she will earn much more. Unfortunately, the aids provided by the government of Pangkajene Regency and Islands/Pangkep is in the form of small motorboats only for men. This is due to the stereotype of most people that the fishing profession is a male profession, while the ability of Lina and other island women to go to sea is considered non-existent.

Lina and her friends did not remain silent, they urged the Pangkep Regency Government to also provide boat assistance to women. Despite repeated rejections, she still believes and fights for her rights because according to her the fishing profession is not only for men. Despite going through a long and complicated process because it was difficult to change this view, Lina and her friends finally met with success.

Not only used to make a living, Lina also dedicates the aid boat to island women who want to go for treatment to the nearest putsu (supporting health center) and to help mobilize school children across to other islands.

This story has inspired many people through Lina’s choice to speak up and fight for her way of life and that of other island women.

The Human Initiative in the Humanity Award 2021 appreciates Lina’s story and her struggles in the Local Humanitarian Actor category.

From Nurlina we learn that being a minority does not mean a problem. There are many ways that we can take to fight for the things we think are right.

Happy Mother’s Day!