#GirlBoss: Susi Pudjiastuti

Her name is Susi Pudjiastuti, born on January 15, 1965. She was the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries in Indonesia from 2014 to 2019. She became well-known in my generation for taking strong action against illegal fishing, ordering the sinking of those boats. Between November 2014 and August 2018, 488 illegal fishing boats were sunk because of her. What inspires me is her unique and determined attitude.

But becoming a minister wasn't easy for her. She grew up in Pangandaran, a coastal town, and her parents were farmers. Despite being from the coast, she was smart and good at English. She left high school early because she didn't like the system, and she got criticized for supporting a pro-white movement in her second year of high school.

After leaving school, she did something bold. She sold all her jewelry and used the money, about 750 thousand rupiahs, to start selling fish. She rode her bike to sell fish and gradually built a big business. She even started her own company, PT ASI Susi Marine Product. To export her products more easily, she borrowed a lot of money to start her own airline, Susi Air, with 50 planes and 136 pilots. Originally, these planes were just for transporting her products, but during the Aceh tsunami, they helped the victims.

Her strong decisions had a big impact. Research published in the journal Nature showed that her tough policies against illegal fishing reduced it by 25%, and it could increase catches by 14% and profits by 12%.

Because of her impressive qualities, President Jokowi chose her as the Minister of Maritime Affairs. She has received many awards, which you can see on the screen.

Fun fact: People criticized her for smoking and having tattoos when she became a minister.

One of my favorite quotes from her is: "Negeri ini butuh orang gila kaya saya. Kalau kerja jangan takut, kalau takut jangan kerja"