Gender Roles and Women Leadership in Northeast India Agricultural Economy

Gender roles profoundly shape agricultural production, resource access and leadership structures in Northeast India. Women constitute a major share of the agricultual labour force across shifting cultivation, settled farming, home gardens and post-harvest systems, contributing significantly to food security, nutrition and value addition. Despite their central role, customary land tenure, limited technology access, financial constraints and weak market linkages restrict women’s decision-making power and leadership visibility. Emerging opportunities through self-help groups, farmer collectives and agripreneurship demonstrate the potential for enhancing women’s agency when supported by capacity building, infrastructure and equitable policies. Evidence from Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Manipur highlights both progress and persistent structural barriers. Strengthening women’s leadership requires gender-responsive interventions across land governance, extension services, credit access and market integration to ensure inclusive and resilient agricultural development in the region.