Aheli Moitra
In many pockets of the Indian Union, it has been observed that historically oppressed groups, like the Dalits, are surging past historically powerful groups in terms of education. A Dalit rights activist recently featured on a news discussion highlighting how oppressed groups pushed their youth to secure a solid education, laying the foundation that would help them tackle with, and rise above, oppression. The path is not perfect and continues to be riddled with issues but has laid basis to move ahead as a dignified group.
The case can also be made for women in Nagaland. Though not oppressed to the same degree, women have historically not held positions of power, nor traditional property or rights of inheritance. The first to be educated, the first pastor, the first doctor, the first engineer, among the Nagas, were all male. However, women have invested heavily in education and joined the workforce in big numbers over the past couple of decades.
Data has shown in the past years that girls have consistently fared better in high school as well as higher secondary education than boys in Nagaland.
The All India Survey on Higher Education for 2016-17, a report released by the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, has now shown that women are outshining men in Nagaland in higher education, enrolling more often from under graduate right up to PhD levels.
The Morung Express reported earlier in January how more women than men enrolled in Under Graduate, Post Graduate, PG Diploma, M Phil and PhD studies in 2016-17. Further, the report brought to attention the ratio of teaching faculty in Nagaland State. While the older positions of professorship and related ones are held mostly by men, positions of M-tutors/Demonstrators, Readers, Lecturers and Assistant Professors are dominated by women—this indicates that recent generations have made a deliberate push towards education and not all have dropped out, using their skills to take society forward.
A study is needed to track female labour participation in Nagaland. While many women have entered the workforce as entrepreneurs, professionals, bureaucrats etc, women are still unable to come into the political arena due to structural barriers. Not tapping into the rich resource of highly educated women has been Nagaland politics’ downfall.
It may be noted that when female education levels improve, the value of women in the labour market increases; as a result, the economy grows in a way that promotes social transformation. IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde stated in 2015 that girls’ education is the “single best investment” that a society can make.
Lagarde also pointed out a crucial element of removing structural barriers: “Men — not only as partners, but also as fathers, sons, and brothers — have an important stake in empowering women... Not only does this help their partners, daughters, mothers and sisters to achieve their potential, it also helps build a stronger society for all.”
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