Ban Eang, Laos
Men harvest, women process. The harvest is a particular kind of grass that seems to be robust and tough enough, when bound a certain way, to act as a broom. The processing includes beating the living life out of the harvest, separating the seeds and chafe.
The product is the ubiquitous grass that can be found in every guesthouse, home, and shop. It’s incredibly labour intensive work. I cannot even imagine how much these folk are paid, but the brooms them selves cost a couple thousand kip.
A couple thou, as Elliotte might say.