Indigenous Women of Northeast India at the Forefront of a Strong Non-Violent Peace Movement

Indigenous women around the world have been at the forefront of a strong non-violent peace, security and disarmament movement. Over the last 200 years or so, women of Northeast India have been leaders in non-violent peace movements. Women play an indispensable role in preserving peace and order. They hold community together by stepping out of socially ascribed roles, transforming gender stereotypes, and by opening up opportunities for empowerment. Women’s groups in Northeast India have developed many a powerful programme of direct, non-violent action designed to confront the fire of insurgency that has engulfed this strategic region since the late 1940s. In India’s Northeast, women have always played a major role in many peace and social movements