Women empowerment

Women Empowerment in the Himalayas

At Heco, empowering women is central to our mission for sustainable development and conservation.

In the remote regions of the Himalayas, where traditional gender roles often limit opportunities for women, we’ve taken significant steps to change the narrative.

Through initiatives like training women as trekking guides and involving them in conservation efforts, we are not only elevating their social status but also fostering a deeper connection with the environment.

These empowered women are now leaders in their communities, driving both social change and environmental stewardship.

You can read more details about the reasons we believe in women for conservation in this article.

After years of effort towards setting up a micro-enterprise for women to provide them with a platform to earn for themselves using the skills they possess, we have made significant progress. After numerous meetings, discussions, and training sessions, we formed a small team of women from Palach Panchayat to start a microenterprise. Together, we have created a range of self-care products, such as handmade soaps, 100% pure apricot oil and lip/body balms.

Our intention is to encourage the women’s entrepreneurial spirit, give them the opportunity to use their skills, help them earn an income, and hence, gain a stronger social status in the context of a conservative patriarchal society.

We continuously rework our model to include flexible working hours and days, encourage traditional handicraft skills, and design a system that allows the women to contribute and work from their homes and fields at their convenience. This approach maximizes the participation of women in the project.

The brand name is Himalayan Ecocreation, and we produce 100% natural, plastic free, carbon neutral products. We are working on designing a more efficient production line. To learn more about Himalayan Ecocreation’s complete story, click here.

Heco empowers women in the Himalayas to become active participants in environmental conservation.

By involving them in projects like reforestation and biodiversity preservation, we provide them with both a livelihood and a sense of purpose.

These women, often marginalized in their communities, are now playing a crucial role in protecting their natural surroundings. Their involvement not only contributes to ecological sustainability but also challenges traditional gender norms, fostering greater gender equality in the region.

Under our reforestation program, there is a commitment to care of the trees for the next twenty years after plantation. Women play a primary role in mobilizing the community, take care of the saplings in our nurseries, collecting seeds and help us in prevention of forest fires.

A few women from the villages of Pekhri and Bhiyar who had an inclination for teaching have been trained under experienced educationalists to join as teachers in their respective schools that Heco has established.
They are our salaried employees who introduce interactive, effective teaching methods to teach the children coming to these schools.

We’ve received an encouraging response from parents and students alike since we started in 2018. They are helped by our many education interns in designing progressive and engaging teaching methods but the teachers continue to be the constant link and have developed a strong rapport with the students.

With the upcoming Library and Supplementary Education project coming up in Gushaini, we are positive about training and provide employment to local teachers and extend our outreach in the region.