Don't underestimate rural indigenous women, says Malaysian anthropologist

(from left) Anthropologist Dr Vilashini Somiah and research assistant Lauren Brodie Tsen ventured into the Sabah interior to study rural indigenous communities.

During the pandemic, 36-year-old Julai, a Dusun woman entrepreneur and homestay owner from Kundasang, Sabah, worked with several other Muslim female entrepreneurs to generate an income by selling their crafts via TikTok and Facebook Live.

“Initially, we could earn a decent income, but this was short-lived because we don’t have enough capital to meet the demands of an increased capacity,” she admits.