Coral Catch’s restoration scholarship doesn’t just revitalise reefs, it propels Indonesian women into the ocean science industry
Words and photographs by Annie Means
By the fourth week, the seasickness had stopped as swiftly as it had arrived. As our dive boat bounced over the waves with the air cylinders jumping in their mounts, the four trainees on the Coral Catch reef restoration programme were unfazed. Nausea pills were now left on shore.
The divers in question – Hindara Dania, Revata Dharani Sofjan, Hirmaya Kartika, and Brigitta Maria Andrea Gunawan, – are part of a unique women-only marine science scheme.
The scheme was created by Rose Huizenga, an experienced conservation programme director, to help women in Indonesia take a leading role in marine sciences.
Currently, women are woefully under-represented in the sector – not only in Indonesia, but globally. The nine-week courses on Gili Air are designed to help women take the next steps in a marine conservation career and teach a variety of skills – everything from welding to social media strategy, from staff management to fish identification.
Underpinning everything that is taught is an emphasis on building the women’s self-confidence and esteem. The course has been going since 2021, and 24 women have graduated so far – all are currently employed in the sector.
Rose, one of the founders of Gili Shark Conservation based on Gili T, believes it is crucial that young, talented women get involved and take leadership roles in marine conservation programmes. She raised the funds to offer scholarships for the women to undergo intense nine-week training programmes on the island and get fully immersed in the marine conservation world that is at the heart of the Gili Islands diving community.
‘It’s successfully changed the whole island’s perspective,’ explains Hindara, who comes from the Gilis – a group of three islands near Lombok that have become over the years one of the busiest and most exciting diving communities on the planet.
The large number of divers has put a strain on the islands’ marine environment, one of the reasons Rose set up the scheme. She tells me: ‘We’ve been here for over 11 years, and we see a dramatic difference.’
‘We rely on the ocean more than we realise,’ adds Brigitta, another of the latest trainees. ‘The economy depends on it, especially large, island nations, smaller developing states, and archipelagos, like Indonesia.’ The Coral Catch scholarship’s aim is to alleviate some of that ecosystem strain.
Each morning, the women gather at 8 am beneath the thatched roof of the programme’s headquarters before heading off for their two morning dives during which they practise scuba skills, underwater navigation, flora and fauna identification, and a variety of other technical tasks.
Afternoons are filled with a mix of master classes, planning sessions, and empowerment exercises, all tailored to the participants’ career ambitions. Cenna Wijayanto, Coral Catch’s Programme Manager and an early graduate of the course, oversees the day-to-day operations of the training. She emphasises that the learning is intended to be engaging and is, therefore, bespoke. She says: ‘I’ve selected master-classes that will suit each group well, depending on their background and interests.’
Hindara is fascinated by medical uses of the marine environment. During her undergraduate years, Revata researched coral-killing sponges. Brigitta is a National Geographic Young Explorer and a Global Citizen Youth Leader, and Hirmaya previously worked in the international trade of soft corals.
They will hone their skills in public speaking, fish identification, GIS, social media marketing, dive safety, and much more, to prepare not only to work in the marine conservation sector but also to set-up and develop their own schemes. Rose explains: ‘Coming from my own experience, to run projects like this, you just need to have a lot of skills. A lot of the time, there is no money. You can’t hire a welder, an accountant, or someone to do your social media, so you need to be able to do it all.’
During the nine weeks, each group will build and install its own artificial reef structure in the surrounding marine park. They will leave with a template that will enable them to do similar projects elsewhere.
One of the driving reasons behind the creation of the scholarship scheme is that in marine science, women’s representation is disproportionately concentrated in entry-level roles and virtually absent from senior leadership positions. According to findings published in Biological Conservation’s 2021 issue, a leading international science journal, women occupy only between 13 and 24 per cent of senior positions in marine science.
The same study identifies a significant decline in the representation of women as they progress throughout their oceanographic careers. ‘We’re not discrediting men in power. We just want to know why women are often not the immediate thought. When you’re trying to invite people in, or when you’re trying to gain expertise, why is it that you often look at gender as a pinpoint of credibility?’ asks Brigitta.
On Sundays, the group goes to the local freshwater swimming pool to teach women and children to swim. They also lead beach-cleaning sessions involving local residents, and visit local schools to give talks on conservation.
Like many participants in Coral Catch, the now programme leader Cenna admits that initially, she wasn’t inclined to take on a leadership role. During the first weeks of her time as a Coral Catch participant, she says, ‘I was really scared.’
After nearly two months of leadership practise, support, and rigorous technical experience, Cenna gained confidence in herself and emerged as a teacher for others. ‘I felt empowered after my session with Coral Catch,’ she says. ‘It was truly eye-opening for me.’
Hindara adds: ‘These nine weeks, I’ve learned a lot. I learned to trust people. I learned to open myself up to people, learned to unlearn things.’ said Hindara. ‘This programme, because it’s all women, all diving women, creates a safe feeling. No one is going to judge you,’ says Cenna.
‘I think I’ve learned a lot about myself,’ says Brigitta. ‘ I start to recognise some of my strengths and areas where I can improve, and that’s really allowed me to imagine what kind of career I want.’
Most of the classes are led by female professionals in the marine sciences and related fields. While this may not seem revolutionary, many of the participants were quick to point out that this is a rarity in Indonesia. ‘It’s so important because in Indonesia especially, we don’t have a lot of women in marine science,’ notes Hirmaya.
In Indonesia, where gender roles still largely confine women to domestic tasks, Indonesian women are rarely seen out on the water or below the surface. Hindara grew up in the Gili Matra Marine Park. She reflected on her experience as a female diver in the Gili Islands chain.
‘I remember when I did my open water certificate, the people I met at the harbour were questioning me, saying, “Where are you going? Are you going to dive? You? Aren’t you supposed to stay home and cook, do things like that?’”
Another crucial aspect contributing to the success of Coral Catch involves the professional network available to its graduates. Rose has worked hard to cultivate a network of Coral Catch Ambassadors, influential women who can provide guidance and support to the Coral Catch cohort.
This international career network offers support to emerging women in the field and ranges from university professionals to filmmakers to the director of the Coral Restoration Foundation. Coral Catch graduates have a wealth of powerful women at their disposal to whom they can turn for advice, support, inspiration, or potential opportunities. Coral Catch is not only facilitating women’s entry into the ocean science sector but also ensuring their future within it.
It’s time for the rest of the marine world to follow suit.
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