Kohima, May 21 (DIPR): The Nagaland Women Commission, Nagaland, jointly with the Rengma Mothers’ Association organised a subdivision-level Women Seminar with the theme ‘Towards a New Horizon’ on May 20 at the Tseminyu town hall. Nagaland Women Commission’s chairperson, Sano Vamuzo, in her keynote address said that realising the long felt need of the Naga women, the Nagaland State Commission for Women was launched officially on March 28, 2007, to safeguard the rights and legal entitlement of women. She said that having the Commission is not about men versus women to compete but to complement each other in all endeavours, as Constitution-wise men and women are equal and each of us have equal rights before the law. It is the legitimate right of every individual to avail rights to shelter, food, education, health and water, and every woman has the right to voice their demands for all that we need in order to bring advancement, development and empowerment for a better meaningful life, she added.
A chairperson for the seminar, Secretary of NWC, Lithrongla G Chishi, NCS, speaking on ‘Women and Empowerment’, enlightened the participants that empowerment means bringing empowerment legally or formally with power or freedom to do certain things. She stressed that in the present context of the Naga women, empowerment is vitally essential to bring about a positive change in the society, economically, politically, financially and socially through equality.
Grounds of gender should not be the defining factor to confine her within the flamework of the kitchen; instead she should be treated justly and her voice should be taken as equal in the process of various decision-making, Chishi asserted. Vesting on her certain due rights does not mean to dislodge the man from his traditional pedestal of authority that may be very dear to him, that is why men folk should not be afraid of the word ‘women’ and ‘empowerment’, she added. The NWC Secretary further stressed that woman’s ignorance is a major hindrance to empowerment, that education is the key to live in a protean horizon; therefore no women should be devoid of education.
Legal Consultant to NWC, Lydia Yepthomi, while speaking on ‘legal rights and women’, covered topics on penal laws for protection of women and children in relation to rape, maternity benefits, marriage, divorce, maintenance/custody of children, succession, etc., besides domestic violence encompassing physical violence, sexual violence, emotional/verbal violence, economic violence, etc.
Dr. Teninlo Jemu and Yanlen CDPO (Tribal Kohima) and member of NWC, also spoke during the Seminar. Village chairmen, VDB secretaries, Women VDB members, ASHA workers, anganwadi workers, church workers and other NGO members were also in attendance, while more than 300 participants from different villages under Tseminyu attended the programme.
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