A brightly-colored bonanza of shopping, the Ima or “Mother’s” Market covers three large buildings in the city of Imphal, India. Established in the 16th century, the market hosts around 5,000 vendors who sell a variety of products, from fruit and vegetables to seafood and spices to toys and textiles.
Like so many things in India, the market is administered by a union, in this case, made up of all of its vendors. There are a vast number of public markets in the country, but this one stands alone in both its composition and its dedication to representing women-owned businesses.
