Introduction: The North East India Region, earlier known as the “ 7 Sister States” now with 8 (eight) states is connected with mainland India by a narrow strip of land (also called the “chicken neck”) in the northern part of West Bengal. The region is in compact area with Nepal, Bhutan and China in the North and North West, Burma (Myanmar) on the East and Bangladesh on the South and South West. Out of the 8 (eight) North Eastern States, Indigenous tribal communities of 4 States, particularly of (1) Arunachal Pradesh, (2) Nagaland, (3) Mizoram and (4) Meghalaya are majority in their respective states even in terms of population, land holding etc, while in the other 4 States of (1) Assam, (2) Manipur, (3) Tripura and (4) Sikkim, Indigenous tribal communities are now minorities, due to influx of non-indigenous communities in some cases, while in some cases the dominant communities are not considered or classified as tribes or indigenous. But a large majority of lands and natural resources belongs to the indigenous communities in the state of Manipur as a case example. Topographically, the land of the Indigenous communities in the former 4 four States are mostly mountainous and hilly while the later 4 states have lowlands in most areas and hilly in some region such as Sikkim. Although the Government of India officially denies having indigenous population, the indigenous people are classified as “Scheduled Tribes”.
The member organizations of IWFNEI are mass-based tribal women and social organizations drawn from all parts of the North India through affiliations. Presently, IWFNEI is composition of 12 (twelve) organizations, namely:
- Naga Women’s Union, (NWU), Manipur
- Naga Indigenous Women’s Network (NIWN), Nagaland
- Borok Women’s Forum (BWF), Tripura
- Karbi Nimso Chingthur Association, Assam
- Tiwa Women Association (TWA), Assam
- Rabha Mahila Parishad (RMP), Assam
- Hajong Women Welfare Association, Assam
- Zeme Mother’s Association, Assam
- Zomi Mother’s Association, Manipur
- Lai Women’s Association, Mizoram
- Mother’s Union Tura, Meghalaya
- Tangsa Women’s Association, Arunachal Pradesh