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View all search resultsBenteng Chinese women in Tangerang find strength in numbers
In a community near Jakarta, a women’s cooperative is helping Benteng Chinese women build financial independence, seek support against domestic violence and bring their concerns into public decision-making.
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Savings in action: Chen Fie (second right) oversees savings and loan transactions at the Lampion Merah Abadi Women’s Resource Development Cooperative in Kosambi, Tangerang, Banten, on Aug. 20, 2026. (Magdalene/M. Rifaldy Zelan)
O
ey Cin Wah, 63, makes a living knitting and baking cookies. Her handmade products sell for between Rp 15,000 (84 US cents) and hundreds of thousands of rupiah, providing income to support herself and her 90-year-old father.
“My principle in old age is not to burden my children and their spouses. I want to live independently,” Cin Wah told Magdalene in late August.
She deposits part of her earnings in the Lampion Merah Abadi Women’s Resource Development Cooperative (KWPS), which supports Benteng Chinese women in Belimbing village, Kosambi district, Tangerang, Banten. The cooperative also provided capital for her knitting business.
Cin Wah grew up in poverty and once relied entirely on her husband’s income. After he died in 2010, she had to find ways to support herself.
“I used to ask my husband for money for everything. Now, for example, if I want to buy body lotion, I can pay for it myself with the money I earn from knitting,” she said.
“I used to ask my husband for money for everything. Now, for example, if I want to buy body lotion, I can pay for it myself with the money I earn from knitting.” — Oey Cin Wah, cooperative member
Savings, collective strength
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