North East Network (NEN) is a women’s rights organisation rooted in North East India, working at the intersection of gender justice and social justice. We link with rural and urban women, grassroots collectives, and civil society organisations across the region — building solidarity, amplifying voices, and challenging the structures that hold women back.

We believe in the potential and rights of every individual, regardless of race, caste, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or social background. The women we work with are farmers, weavers, vendors, home-based workers, homemakers, violence survivors, low-income migrant workers, and youth — each bringing their own strength, and each deserving of a life lived with dignity and agency. 

Change, for us, is always collective and transformative. 

Where we come from

NEN was established in 1995. In the three decades since, we have grown into one of North East India’s most sustained platforms for women’s rights, combining grassroots activism with policy engagements, and grounding critical gender conversations in dialogue, dissemination, and lived experience.

We were among the first organisations in the region to take a liberal feminist approach to gender issues, weaving together community engagement with a commitment to systemic change.

Where we work

Our work today spans Assam, Meghalaya, and Nagaland. We are headquartered in Assam, with offices in Guwahati (head office), Shillong, and Chizami.

What we work on

Our efforts are concentrated in four thematic areas:

• Ending Gender-based Violence against Women and Girls
• Good Governance and State Accountability
• Livelihood and Resilience
• Natural Resource Regeneration