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CONCLUSION

There is great potential in the areas of Sungaibuntu and Cemara Jaya for women to develop self help groups. Through these, base line programmes can be designed to offer women information to learn and develop, to improve their role in the community and provide them with the choice to advance both socially and economically. 

Local resources can be utilized and the already existing small scale home industries can be extended and improved, especially in the areas of processing and netmaking. At present there is no co-ordination of activities all women work individually for themselves or for a bakul. With co-ordination a greater output could be created and consequently more income. 

Care would have to be taken in organising and developing an effective credit source. One, which is not so costly, or detrimental to women workers.

At present women do not have sufficient capital to buy their own products and work either individually or in groups for themselves. They must either work for a bakul: and receive low renumeration for the time and effort they put into the work, or are forced to obtain credit from the bakul to buy fish for home processing. This may then be sold back to the bakul for marketing purposes. 

Information is needed to find out how the credit mechanism and market linkages in the area work. The implementation of a structure to remove the existing counstraints and free the women from their association with the middle man while developing a mechanism for increased productivity for the generation of income is necessary. 

Possibly, a collective business approach or the formation of a co-operative for low income women processers and traders could be established to provide them with low interest credit. This would be run by the women for their benefit. 

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