Indigenous Tamang women entrepreneurs are empowered to strengthen their allo textile business, learning new skills, improving their livelihoods and preserving this traditional craft for generations to come. 

From plant to product

For centuries, women in Nepal have been harvesting the Himalayan giant nettle – or allo as it is known locally – for its precious fibers. The leafy plant can grow up to three meters tall, which is why it’s also sometimes called elephant nettle. It’s then harvested by hand and the long, strong fibers inside are stripped away and washed, boiled, pounded, and dried in a very physical and time-consuming process that can take months. Finally, the allo is spun into threads before being woven into eco-friendly textiles. This ancestral craft has been passed down the generations in indigenous communities and has traditionally been the domain of women. But, a few years ago, the Risheshwor Allo Enterprise in Makwanpur District, three hours southwest of Kathmandu, was on the brink of collapse.

Washing and drying allo fibers to turn into thread 

A new beginning

Hit hard by the covid pandemic, the Risheshwor Allo Enterprise, which was headed up by a handful of women, was running at a loss. Their processing machine was worn out and they only had the capacity to make the allo thread, lacking the skills to create value-added products such as bags, shawls or clothing. “Our enterprise was underperforming,” explains Hira Lama, Chairperson of Risheshwor Allo Enterprise. “It was a very difficult time for us.”

However, today, it’s a different story. Determined to sustain and grow their business, the group has been revitalized, thanks to support from the Forest and Farm Facility (FFF) which helped the women enhance their entrepreneurial capacity. 

Strengthening capacity

With support from the FFF, multi-stakeholder workshops were held during 2024 to discuss the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in forest-based enterprises. Stakeholders, including municipalities, agreed to support women-led businesses and four community forests pledged to supply raw materials at reduced rates to the allo women entrepreneurs. The Risheshwor Community Forest also agreed to incorporate allo plantations as part of their climate-resilient strategy, planting over 3,200 allo plants to support ecosystem restoration and providing the women with a sustainable supply of raw material. Gender equality and social inclusion training was also conducted with stakeholders to improve their responsiveness to rural women’s needs.

The women of Risheshwor Allo Enterprise also developed their technical skills in harvesting, storing and processing to produce high-quality allo threads. With financial support from the FFF, the group were able to purchase improved allo processing equipment and maintain their existing equipment, allowing them to strengthen their production capacity. Through an exposure visits to an established allo enterprise – Allo Bazar Pvt Ltd in Kathmandu District – the women were able to learn from other women’s experiences. They observed the thread-making, cloth weaving and cloth production processes and learned the skills to make coats, bags, shoes and other products, greatly adding value to their business. 

“Through our exposure visit, we learned that we could create a range of products from allo, which would increase our sales and generate more income. We realized we could also sell allo fabric,” said Hira Lama, Chairperson of Risheshwor Allo Enterprise.

Allo bags and purses made by women-led Risheshwor Allo Enterprise 

Linking to markets

To help the women increase their customer base, the FFF facilitated connections with SABHA Nepal – a non-profit community based social-business organization which supports marginalized women to achieve economic growth. The group is in the process of becoming a member, which will enable them to sell their allo products through SABHA’s market outlets. Other marketing strategies were also employed – such as linking with community FM radio and using social media to raise the profile of their allo products. As a result of the changes the women have made and the strategies they have adopted, their income has almost doubled.

Next steps for the allo sector

Looking forward, there are ways that allo women entrepreneurs could be further supported by stakeholders in the future to create a thriving sector. Steps include developing concessional loans and grants for indigenous women entrepreneurs; scaling up allo plantation programs across community forests; advocating for gender responsive forestry and enterprise policies; and formalizing partnerships among women’s groups, government bodies, private sector and social business organizations to share learning and coordinate support. Branding and certification initiatives to enhance the competitiveness of allo products, and enhancing the use of digital platforms for marketing and knowledge sharing would also encourage more young women to participate in the sector. 

For now, the revitalized Risheshwor Allo Enterprise is going from strength to strength and today comprises 7 workers (women and young people), supported by 7 executive members and 2 advisors. With their enhanced entrepreneurial capacities and technical skills, the women have been able to strengthen their livelihoods whilst conserving and cherishing their traditional craft.