The women who protect the forest

(Pic above and below) Members of the women forest rangers hugging a tree as they collect data while patrolling the forest of Damaran Baru village in Bener Meriah, Indonesia. — ©2023 The New York Times Company

RIDING her motorbike while balancing a backpack, a wok and a sharp cleaver, Asmia expertly manoeuvred her way up a dangerous cliffside: a 5km trip along a precipitous dirt path, barely a metre wide, to reach the mouth of the forest.

Asmia is one of the 15 members of a team of rangers – 10 of whom are women – whose job is to protect their village forest in Aceh province in Indonesia from squatters who want to clear the trees for timber or to farm the fertile soil.