Women-Led Cooperatives in Eastern Himalayan Region Farming
Why in the news
Women-run cooperatives are emerging as a way to close gender gaps in farming across the Eastern Himalayan Region, where women already do most of the work.
Key facts
- Women provide over 70% of farm labour, active in horticulture, sericulture, livestock and Jhum (shifting cultivation).
- Barriers: gender bias, weak access to credit, land ownership and decision-making, and little institutional support.
- FAO ties such cooperatives to SDG 1, SDG 5 and SDG 8.
- Cooperatives offer pooled resources, skills, market links and training.
Policy support and examples
| State / body | Initiative | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Centre | Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act (2002); Ministry of Cooperation (2021) | Encouraged women’s participation |
| Assam | Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojna (2016-17) | 12,500 SHGs empowered |
| Meghalaya | Pla Tangka Cooperative Society (2025) | Aims to widen SHGs’ financial access |
| Manipur (Ukhrul) | Ringyuichon Vasum’s SHGs gave microcredit | Over 13,000 women benefited; less dependence on illicit logging |
| Nagaland (Chizami) | Seno Tsuhah promoted handloom weaving | Steady income for local women |
| Tripura | JUST under FARM Northeast programme | Greater autonomy in food production |
Background
Traditional community cooperatives in the region were male-dominated because men controlled resources. Women-led models such as SEWA Bharat and Prabhavana showed a different path.
Concerns and way forward
- Infrastructure gaps, limited credit and traditional norms still hold women back.
- Regional coordination: Ministry of Cooperation with MDONER and the North Eastern Council.
- Capacity building in modern techniques, financial literacy and leadership.
- Market integration through direct links to cut middlemen.
- Women’s participation rose between 2021 and 2024.
Exam angle
- Jhum = shifting cultivation.
- MDONER = Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region.
- SDGs linked: 1, 5 and 8.