Introduction
North-East is home to more than 250 ethnicities with diverse cultural and socio-economic realities. There are several challenges and opportunities in empowering women. In many respects, gender indicators in North Eastern states compare very favourably with the average Indian situation. This, however, does not convey the whole situation.

Challenges faced by women in North-East

• Women in the North East have taken on themselves the mantle to take care and feed their children and make their household done heart burning. This they have not done out of any choice but out of certain historical and traditional reasons.
• Their role in decision making is completely absent, as their presence in the traditional institutions is almost non-existent. Exclusion from political and social decision making makes women have an inferior position in society in comparison to men.
• Women play a major role in agriculture and livestock development but are excluded from the traditional institutions, which are mostly regulatory bodies and look after land management, enforcement of traditional and customary laws, settlement of disputes, management of forest and collection of revenues etc.

NERCORMP

• North Eastern Region Community Resources Management Project for Upland Areas” (NERCORMP) came into being in 1999 as a joint initiative of the North Eastern Council, Ministry of DoNER, Government of India and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
• It was set up with an objective ‘To improve the livelihoods of vulnerable groups in a sustainable manner through improved management of their resources base in a way that contributes to preservation and restoration of the environment.
• The approach of the Projects is to build up women’s friendly activities through women’s groups in order to increase their confidence and managerial capabilities and to improve their voice in the community gathering.

Measures taken by NERCORMP

• Preparation of plans at village level based on women’s perception of their needs along with Gender sensitization training of officials and people.
• Women were given equal access to training in production methods especially in handloom sector. Involving women in Projects has enhanced the mobility of rural women and has ensured better health care and brought several of them out of drudgery
• Basic Rural Infrastructure like low-cost sanitation, safe drinking water, inter-village roads, waiting sheds and collection centres have been provided.
• It has mainstreamed women participation in the management of Community Conserved Areas (CCAs) and Natural Resource Management Groups (NaRMGs)
• Along with SHGs, NaRMGs foster participation and empowerment of women by being a member of the group and participating in decision making for village planning.

Conclusion
NERCORMP as a project has significantly reduced poverty, created a better atmosphere for participation of women in village development, provided financial literacy, sanitation and food and nutritional security.