The Role of Coastal Women in Supporting Food Security

Authors

Keywords:

women, coast, food, village, Buru

Abstract

Food security in coastal areas still faces challenges due to limited access, environmental degradation, and dependence on external food sources. Furthermore, there is no locally based intervention model that specifically integrates women's roles in food utilization.

Sustainable management of natural resources is crucial for this study, as it aims to analyze the role of coastal women in natural resource-based food security in Buru Regency and identify the social, economic, and environmental issues that influence it. This study employed a qualitative method with a phenomenological approach. This approach was chosen because it allows for in-depth exploration of the life experiences of the Buru people, including how they interpret the world, interpret traditions, and connect daily experiences with value systems and the environment. The study was conducted in farming and fishing households in five villages: Waeura, Waeperang, Airbuaya, Sanleko, and Wamlana in Buru Regency, Maluku. Twenty-three informants were selected purposively, and data were collected through in-depth interviews and participant observation, then analyzed thematically using MAXQDA 24.4.1 software. The results show that women play a central role as ecological actors and guardians of local wisdom, integrating traditional values with modern adaptation strategies. Key findings reveal that women's management of natural resources contributes significantly to household food security and the creation of locally based alternative businesses. Although women possess strong moral and intellectual authority within traditional institutions and are key agents in the transmission of knowledge across generations, significant structural inequalities exist within formal institutional dimensions. Women's involvement in strategic decision-making remains very low, indicating systemic barriers to the recognition of their leadership roles. Therefore, this study confirms that community ecological and economic sovereignty is highly dependent on strengthening women's bargaining power within formal policy structures to achieve inclusive and sustainable development.

Author Biographies

  • Arifandi Waikabo, Universitas Iqra Buru

    Arifandi Waikabo is a lecturer in the Indonesian Language Study Program, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Iqra Buru, Indonesia. His areas of expertise include Indonesian language education, language and literature, civic and character education, and educational studies. His research interests focus on Indonesian language and literature education, local culture and cultural preservation, language learning, and the integration of local knowledge into education to support sustainable and contextual learning.

  • Marwan Hidayat Lussy, Universitas Iqra Buru

    Marwan Hidayat Lussy is a lecturer in the Agrotechnology Study Program, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Universitas Iqra Buru, Indonesia. His areas of expertise include forestry, agriculture, natural resource management, and environmental studies. His research interests focus on community-based forest and natural resource management, environmental conservation, and the utilization of local resources to support sustainable development.

  • Edy Said Ningkeula, Universitas Iqra Buru

    Edy Said Ningkeula is a lecturer in the Agrotechnology Study Program, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Universitas Iqra Buru, Indonesia. His areas of expertise include forestry, agriculture, natural resource management, and environmental studies. His research interests focus on community-based forest and natural resource management, environmental conservation, and the utilization of local resources to support sustainable development.

Downloads

Published

2026-09-01

Issue

Vol. 1 No. 1 (2026)

Section

Articles