‘Awareness of rights imperative for one’s empowerment’

The Lotha Eloe Ekhung KarbiAnglong (LEEK), Bor Lengri, on Saturday organized a legal awareness seminar on rights of women with Pious Lotha, advocate and former Additional Advocate General Nagaland, as the resource person.  The speaker emphasized on the provisions given in the Constitution on the Rights of Women and asserted that awareness on existence of such rights are imperative for one’s empowerment.

Women as one of the social groups that are prone to various discrimination due to gender biasness, socio-economic status and other social parameters, it is crucial to assert one’s rights in order to avail social Justice, he said.  The speaker highlighted sections of  Rights from article 14, Article 21, Article 22(1) and article 31 (a),  where protection of women from domestic violation was articulated particularly as many women continue to suffer suppressive domestic violence which goes unreported due to lack of awareness on one’s legal rights. Pious said “There are several rights for every citizen and women should make use of their rights, by going directly to the Magistrate, where Protection Officer will be appointed, or the most convenient way would be by going to the women cell (police) and can go to the public Information Officer by filing for any queries with the implementation of Right to Information Act 2005.”

The speaker asserted that such awareness programmes are crucial and most necessary if a society is to be empowered. He further called upon the leaders of LEEK to organize such meetings in the future endeavors for women’s development and empowerment. The chairperson for the seminar was Zubeni Odyuo, vice president, LEEK. Other highlights of the programme included invocation by Nzanbeni Patton, women pastor, Borlengri Lotha Baptist Church, welcome address by Rosy Ezung, general secretary, LEEK, and benediction by Abeni Khenjung, treasurer, LEEK.