Women By The Sea: Role Dynamics and Economic Transformation in Maringkik Island

Coastal communities generally have a distinctive social and economic system that is different from other areas characterized by the distribution of gender-based roles that are often passed down from generation to generation, one of which is lived by people in Maringkik Island Village, Keruak District, East Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB). Almost 100% of the men in Maringkik Island work as fishermen, while their women are not allowed to go to sea. However, women have their own roles, one of which is producing woven fabrics. Around 65% of adult women on Maringkik Island are engaged in the art of weaving, both for household needs and for sale as products that have high economic value. Around 40% of woven products are now sold outside Maringkik Island, including in the Lombok and Bali tourism markets. This indicates an increasingly widespread transformation of the culture-based economy. This research aims to understand how coastal women maintain and develop their economic roles, as well as how the transformation of the weaving tradition contributes to economic change in coastal communities in Maringkik. The results of this study show that the division of gender roles on Maringkik Island is the result of social construction and long-standing local values. Women play a strategic role in the community economy, although it is often not formally recognised. Economic transformation, particularly in the weaving industry, shows that women's role in the economy is growing. Modernisation brings new challenges that need to be anticipated in order to maintain the balance of gender roles. This research was conducted over 6 months using qualitative methods and a phenomenological approach. Data were collected through participant-observation, FGDs and documentation.