Women are coming together in a unique co-operative model in a small town in Himachal to prepare local food materials and sell it at a popular tourist destination – Jalori Pass.
This is for the first time that women decided to come out of their homes and take up a vocation by combining their collective strength. Women come in batches and take shifts, so that they can manage their household work along with earning a little by this exercise. Women sell fresh food materials such as Momos, Sidhu (local dish), and Burras juice (a juice made from a locally available flower), amongst other things. We interviewed these women, on the very first day of their venture. They seem to be beaming with confidence and an entrepreneurial spirit. These women are an example of how women can think of collective ways to start something new.
Especially coming from a small village in Himachal, this initiative is unique in trying to bring together women, to do what they are good at, while carving out a source of earning livelihood from the same. While the women informed that currently, it’s just them – a small group, who has started this initiative, hopefully, it will be replicated by women in other villages too. Given that Himachal Pradesh attracts a large number of tourists, this could be a model for women entrepreneurship at grassroots level, providing financial independence to the women.
