In Papua, Indonesia there is a common forest, but what makes this forest unusual is the fact that only women are allowed to enter it.
It is a special place in which for generations, women have gathered to share with each other different life experiences, Telegrafi reports.
And if any man tried to enter this forest, he would have to be punished. A team of BBC journalists from Indonesia (all women) have received permission to visit the country.
Only women are allowed to enter and collect shells. One of them even said that it has always been a forest of women, even the grandmother had told her hundreds of years ago such a rule had existed.
“It has always been here, with the same rules. “Women can stay naked in the forest, they are not obliged to wear clothes, and any man if he tries to enter the forest – is automatically punished,” said Adriana Merauge.
According to her, he will undergo the trial that she calls “ancient”. All violators of this rule would have to pay a fine of one million rupees ($ 69).
“When we are in the forest, we feel free, there are no men around us. We are the only women. “We talk to older women and share different life experiences,” said Father Rumbojrus.
Yet for women this sanctuary has changed quite a lot.
“The ocean is different in relation to how it was before. Our ocean has been very beautiful, clean – unfortunately not like that anymore, it is full of debris. They are the remnants of the market, carried by the water whenever it rains heavily. “I often wonder what will happen to our ocean,” Adriana added.
The women there sell the shells at the nearest market, which is why the forest is so important to them – they even say they can not imagine life without it.
“We will continue to come every day, to collect shells. Here women trust each other. “We will never abandon them,” Adriana said at the end.
