The National Commission for Women (NCW) in collaboration with the Meghalaya Biodiversity Board today organised a two-day regional capacity building workshop and conference on ‘Promoting Entrepreneurship among Indigenous Women of North East Region based on Non Timber Forest Produce’ here.
Addressing the gathering, NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma informed that the commission has started a new initiative of capacity building of tribal women who reside around forests to start a business or work in their area of ‘Non Timber Forest Produce’ (NTFP).
The NCW is taking this initiative up specially for North Eastern women since the region has large forest cover, allowing women to increase their income by working in this area.
She also said the expected outcomes are development of strategies for market integration and adoption of relevant technologies to enhance business operations and market reach, identifying bottlenecks and creation of detailed action plans to overcome value chain challenges, enhancement of efficiency and profitability, generation of innovative ideas and actionable plans for diversifying income streams, enhancing economic resilience and sustainability and to create a collaborative environment for promoting NTFP-based entrepreneurship among indigenous women in the North East.
The participants for the workshop include cultivators, collectors, healers and traders of traditional medicine, folk healers, self-help groups, NTFP collectors and farmers. The conference will also bring together key stakeholders from various sectors to develop actionable plans and strategies and to foster sustainable economic development through NTFP-based entrepreneurship.
