Some of the participants and resource persons during the one day legal awareness programme held for women leaders and community justice workers at the State Institute of Rural Development in Kohima on January 29. (Photo Courtesy/ CAFI)
Kohima, January 30 (MExN): The Control Arms Foundation of India in collaboration with Naga Mothers Association organized a one day legal awareness programme for women leaders and community justice workers at the State Institute of Rural Development in Kohima on January 29.
A press release stated here that tt was organized by the Control Arms Foundation of India, Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network in collaboration with Naga Mothers Association and support from Nagaland State Legal Services Authority and European Union.
A total of around 40 participants from different districts and parts of the state attended the programme. Most of them included women leaders from different tribes, each of them representing their own tribe such as Eastern Nagaland Women Organization, the Watsu Mundang besides the Naga Mothers Association units.
The programme gave awareness on the topic of Domestic Violence, Sexual offences Against women, Child sexual offences (POCSO), Brief on offences, FIR, investigation, arrest, Government Welfare Schemes for Women (Central and State); Benefits and Entitlements, One Stop Crisis Centers and its importance, RTI and its importance and ended the session with sharing examples of successful best practices on empowering vulnerable and marginalized women by the team of Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network.
The resource persons included panel lawyers Nathaniel Kevichusa, Limathung Ezung, Limasenla Longkumer and Vesurupoi Theyo deputed by Mezivolu T. Therieh, Member Secretary of Nagaland State Legal Services Authority.
During the session on the issue of women’s situation in the state, Theyo remarked that “our customary law cannot override our Fundamental Rights.” Additionally, Longkumer stressed that we must remember that “Rights always go along with duties.” Further, a member of the NMA shared that “In case of any offences, be it domestic violence or sexual, most victim’s families approach their own tribe women leaders first. Not only that as an organization, whenever any incidents takes place in their own areas, the women organizations try to intervene and help and guide. Therefore, we felt that every now and then it is important to impart such awareness programs to our women so that they get awareness and knowledge to tackle while helping, or counseling and guiding the victims.”
Iheilung, President of Zeliangrong Mipui Organization (ZMO) said that the seminar has encouraged women “to pay more attention to our ignorant society to uplift and make use of our given rights and make a better place to live in.”
Lochumbeni Humtsoe, Secretary of Naga Mothers Association stated that the training benefits all the participants to know the different forms of gender-based violence and the support structures available for victims and child protection systems. She also added that “the training taught us the new legal laws of IPC.”
Few of the recommendations shared during the session were regular functioning of different committees working on the issue of women and child rights, active members to work effectively on the aforementioned sensitive issues, easy access for women travelling from different districts.