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Women working at Sungaibuntu are mainly engaged in cleaning fish, making ikan asin, ikan pindang and ikan kering. 
During my visit the women worked in groups, employed by a bakul. They received Rp 20 for each kilo of fish cleaned. A full days work would earn them Rp 500. Women putting fish out for drying also earn about Rp 500 perday. 

A small number of women work full time. A larger number work part time when the need arises, if work is available. All work is done at or near the bakul hou, process it at home and either sell at market or back to the bakul. & some women buy fish from the bakul, often on credit. 

A small number of women make terasi and krupuk tengiri. They do this at home individually borrowing money to purchase prawns and fish from rich friends or bakul. A large portion of the money earnt through sale goes back to repay the debt. 

Many women work at home on a very small scale       to process and sell their products. Usually they are endebted to a bakul who gave them credit so sell back to him making little profit. 

None of these activities are coordinated and there is a dependence on the bakul to supply credit and then to buy the finished product at a low price, which he sells at a profit. 

Most women have netmaking skills and often repair and make nets for the boatowners their husbands work for. This is done at the request of the boatowner, so work is intermittant and done on a part time basis. In Sungaibuntu it takes one month to complete a net. Income made Rp 4,000. In Cemara Jaya where prawn nets are made it takes 3 to 6 days and they earn Rp 2,200 per net. 

Small warungs have been set up outside houses and women sell staples, snacks, drinks and sweets. The amount that can be made daily depends on the financial situation in the village.