Dimapur, 8 March (MTNews): Women Entrepreneurs Network Nagaland (WENN) organized a program in collaboration with NABARD to celebrate International Women’s Day at E-Space, Dimapur on 8 March 2024.
The main event of the program was a panel discussion on the theme of “Invest in Women, Accelerate Progress” with panelists Mrs Phutoli Chingmak, Ms Tiakala Ao and Dr T Limanochet Jamir, who shared about their lives and experiences in their respective fields of work. The panel discussion was moderated by Dimapur-based artist Anungla Zoe Longkumer and the conversation turned out to be engaging and insightful on the topics of finance, legal matters, gender, and the culture of hard work, and supporting each other.
The program also featured an initiative to encourage emerging women entrepreneurs by calling for applicants to receive token grants in five focus sectors like Food processing, Handloom, Fashion, Art & Crafts and IT & Media. Out of the twenty plus applicants, five were selected and felicitated during the program.
There was also a WENN Bazaar pop-up with thirteen stalls presenting a variety of products for sale ranging from food, textiles, handicrafts, jewelry and medicinal drink.
The program began with a young woman entrepreneur, maker of the Tsuipu product, sharing her personal journey as an entrepreneur after which a short but effective session of breathing and mobility was conducted by PAWF, Nagaland.
Mrs Phutoli testified during the discussion that investing in women results in the community progressing “by leaps and bounds”. Ms Tiakala reminded everyone how it is women who contribute the most to the rural economy and how in urban marketplaces one sees how women are the driving force. Dr Limanochet stated that true progress in society comes when we treat each other on the basis of being human, and how “women’s rights are human rights.”
The program concluded with sharing of food, interesting pop-up stalls set up by Nagaland women entrepreneurs and networking amongst the entrepreneurs and attendees.