At Mekelle co-operative in Ethiopia, women learn to refine their traditional processes in making cactus pear marmalade. By fulfilling their economic potential, women achieve autonomy and independence to meet their own needs and grow as active participants in their communities.

From their beginning co-operatives needed to engage with governments and legislators in order to establish a legal framework that recognises the distinctive characteristics of co-operative enterprises.

Co-operative pioneers were frequently assisted in this process by enlightened reformers who saw the power and strength of self-help organisations in addressing fundamental inequalities in society.

Early co-operative pioneers and the co-operatives they helped create worked to establish legal and policy frameworks that would enable them to fulfil the potential of co-operatives and provide a form of legal protection. this includes protecting the use of the name "co-operative" that paralleled the emerging legislation for other forms of enterprise. the UN recommends that "a precise definition of cooperative is necessary to prevent 'bogus' cooperatives from illegitimately benefiting from cooperative policies and sullying the image of cooperatives".14

New opportunities, such as the creation of secondary co-operatives, often required new forms of legislation. this highlights the need for co-operatives to be able to speak with one voice in such dialogue; co-operation among co-operatives in accordance with the 6th Principle being the key to the successful promotion and defence of co-operatives.

Engaging with government on legal and policy matters does not however mean compromising the autonomy and independence of co-operatives and the ability of members to democratically manage their organisations without government interference. this 4th Principle of Autonomy and Independence means that members of co-operatives are entitled to make decisions about their co-operative without undue influence from government beyond a wider policy environment that impacts equally on other forms of economic organisation.