KOHIMA: The Catholic Women Association of St. Ignatius Parish Razeba joined the rest of the world in commemorating International Women’s Day at St. Xavier’s Church, Zhavame Village on March 8. The event marked a very good attendance of women representatives from different churches and women societies from the four surrounding villages as well as women representatives from Thenyizumi and Pfutsero town.
Addressing the gathering as the main speaker on the topic, “Women and Education”, Rekha Rose Dukru noted that in spite of the contributions made by women, it is still an unequal world, and deliberating further on the importance of education, she said that our Naga Customary Law does not allow women to inherit ancestral properties. “At the end of the day the house is kept for the youngest son of the family, or best paddy field to eldest son and so on,” she pointed out. However, stating that, it is okay even if a girl is not given any of these, she said it is more important for a mother as a parent to give her education, which can enable a girl child to assets such as house, land etc. She asserted that, ‘what is stored in your head will become your treasure, which no one can take away’ while referring to education.
Further impressing upon that women can become agents of change and development, and also promote love and peace in the society, she emphasized that “women education is the best investment which will never fail to bear fruit” while also quoting ‘When you educate a man: you educate a man. You educate women: you educate a generation.”
She also said that Education is not only knowing how to read and write, and with reference to the gathering, said, “many of you here cannot go back to school but we can all learn to live better lives, we can share, love and respect.” “We can be ordinary women with extraordinary lives”, she added, citing the example of Chen Shu-Jiu, the vegetable seller from Taiwan sand Malala Yousafzia who is an education activist from Pakistan. She challenged the women present by saying that, that the best gift they can gift their daughters is education.
The occasion was marked by a Holy Mass with Rev. Fr. Pappu Samy as the main celebrant. Martha Durku chaired the programme while Anne Kath, President NCWA and Rev. Sis. Mary Dukru also exhorted the gathering. Among those who attended the programme included president and general secretary of Nagaland Catholic Women Association.
