We will be the first to admit: from our stories, it may seem like developmental activities take longer than elsewhere in Nagaland. However, the gradual surge in women’s entrepreneurship cannot go unnoticed. It may not be an exaggeration that Nagaland is witnessing a silent revolution as women, against all odds, take up the mantle to be more independent, ambitious, and daring.
And, they are also helping other women entrepreneurs and strengthening the workforce under the banner of the Women Entrepreneurs Network Nagaland (WENN). EastMojo caught up with the brain behind WENN, a seven-member core team, during one of their social events at Kohima. In a room filled with the aromatic smell of coffee, WENN chairwoman Alemjungla Jamir narrated how it all began.
The core team, she said, comprises women entrepreneurs incubated through an initiative of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and Dhriiti-The Courage Within’s Project Her&Now.
After the incubation period, Jamir said, there was a need to form a network of women entrepreneurs to continue breaking stereotypes and find ways to hand-hold fellow women entrepreneurs in the state.
In September last year, GIZ, Dhriiti, and the Investment and Development Authority of Nagaland (IDAN) signed a tripartite MoU to boost women’s entrepreneurship. GIZ’s India project Her&Now in partnership with Dhriiti launched WENN earlier this year.
The founding members of WENN are Alemjungla Jamir, Sumiho Aye, Hetika Kitchen, Zakietsono Jamir, Nengneithem Hengma, Kewengule Therie, and Regina Chakruno.
Strength of women entrepreneurship in Nagaland
A Survey by the Unincorporated Non-Agricultural Enterprises (excluding construction) during the 73rd round of NSS (July 2015-June 2016) revealed that of more than 42,000 enterprises across Nagaland, 50 per cent were in rural areas. Interestingly, 96 per cent were proprietorship enterprises. Women headed 21.6% of the proprietorship enterprises here, compared to the national average of 20% of MSMEs owned by women at the national level.
In a short period, WENN has registered about 100 women entrepreneurs in the state. “There are many small-scale women entrepreneurs in Nagaland. We realised that as entrepreneurs, we need to build our network and join hands with other female entrepreneurs,” the WENN chairwoman added.
The core team aims to recruit more women across the state to build a network and share information, knowledge, and even skills. They also aim to collaborate with NGOs and government agencies to promote women’s entrepreneurship.
“We believe that entrepreneurship in Nagaland is at a tipping point, and with an enabling business ecosystem, entrepreneurship in the state can take off. Women entrepreneurs can benefit from this emerging trend if the right support is provided to them,” said Julia Karst. She is head of the project Economic Empowerment of Women Entrepreneurs and Start-ups by Women Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
Journey of women entrepreneurship
WENN chairwoman Alemjungla Jamir quit her job as a lecturer to start her enterprise in December 2018 called the Naga Bowl Express, a small-scale restaurant focusing on traditional Naga tribal cuisine in Dimapur.
In 2020, Naga Bowl Express received the ‘most admired Traditional Naga Cuisine Restaurant in Nagaland’ by the Merit Awards and Market Research Private Limited.
“I have no regret in quitting my salaried job to pursue my passion. Being an entrepreneur, we can provide employment opportunities for other people. This makes us more responsible and also rewarding,” the chef said.
Jamir’s brand aims to put Naga cuisine on the global map.
WENN operations head Vekutholu Vero started Hetika Kitchen in 2016 after completing her Master’s degree. “Back then, I could not figure out what to do after my studies. There was also pressure from my family to do something. So that’s when my Diploma in baking came to good use,” she recalled.
Entrepreneurship, she said, can be a lonely journey with many mental, physical and financial challenges. Having experienced it all, she is now determined to share her experiences with other women entrepreneurs. Besides her business, she also trains younger entrepreneurs, some of whom have started their enterprises.
WENN Public relations head Zakietsonuo Jamir, popularly known as Atsi, also shares how she started her entrepreneurial journey in 2016 but discontinued to be in the profession after a year. However, there is no stopping her as she made a comeback in 2019 and started the Farmers Square Café, a specialty coffee restaurant at Medziphema, a small town in the Chümoukedima district.
The eco-friendly space, specialty coffee, sustainability approach, and the use of innovative brewing methods make her brand stand out. The young barista also said that maintaining the originality and authenticity of products has been a key factor in the growth of the brand.
WENN executive secretary Nengneithem Hengna, who is also the founder of Runway Nagaland, a brand for indigenous jewellery made by local artisans, has been in the business for nearly a decade.
“Nine years ago, I decided to trust my gut… I count my gains, not in terms of financial success, but in the respect we get from people as a team of self-reliant women, and the traditions we keep alive through our work,” she said in the book ‘WE mean business’ published by GIZ recently.
Compared to doing business in the past, she told EastMojo, the environment has become more conducive for women entrepreneurs. She observed that the new generation now realises the need to include stakeholders in policy-making processes.
Nagaland government’s helping hand
Hengna said the government has included their voices during policy making. “There is a need for women in policy making. The government is supporting us and we are also performing. So, it feels like somebody is there (to help us grow),” she said.
“As entrepreneurs, we face different challenges. But together, our voices are stronger. So this platform helps us voice our needs, grievances, and requirements in unison,” Kewengule Therie, finance head of WENN and proprietor of Ake Living, said.
She also shared how the public perception of entrepreneurs has changed over time. “Earlier, people did not consider entrepreneurship as a profession. They thought we were wasting time. But now, people are recognising our works, and we are being taken seriously,’ she added.
Head strategist of WENN and founder of Grassroots Aspirations, Sumiho Aye, said Nagaland joined the movement in pushing Goal 5 of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to achieve gender equality and empowerment of women. In this connection, she added, the state is ‘witnessing a growth of women entrepreneurs.