Uplifting Women Street Vendors Programme Towards Creating a Supportive Environment for Women Street Vendors
Uplifting Women Street Vendors Programme Towards Creating a Supportive Environment for Women Street Vendors
Author : Neikule Doulo, Tongtimenla Jamir
December 12, 2025
Observing that over 90 percent of street vendors in Nagaland were women, many of
them sole breadwinners with limited access to savings, credit, or social protection, the
Entrepreneurs Associates (tEA) launched the Uplifting Women Street Vendors (UWSV)
programme in Kohima in 2017. What began as small training sessions with thirteen vendors,
has evolved into a structured intervention model focused on mobilisation, capacity building,
and financial and digital inclusion. Core activities include financial literacy, health and legal
awareness, business mentoring, thrift and credit linkages, and, more recently, digital tools such
as QR Codes and training through Specialised Accelerated Intensive Training (SAIL).
Since its inception, UWSV has reached more than 10,000 women across Nagaland, Manipur,
and Assam through training, mentorship, digital and financial education, and zero-interest
loans. These loans proved especially critical during the COVID-19 recovery and after the 2023
Mao Market fire in Kohima. Beyond immediate crisis response, the programme has enabled
women to expand businesses, transition into small-scale entrepreneurs, invest in land or
vehicles, and fund their children’s education.
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