Morung Express News
Dimapur | August 13
As a child, it is presumed that a boy should play with guns and a girl with dolls; that, boys don’t cry and girls must help in the kitchen. Both boys and girls are expected to step into their roles that society has designed for them. Challenging these roles means going against social setups which have been fundamental in shaping the way society functions. Similarly, Naga women have longed to break away from the stereotype role of what society has defined for them. Despite all efforts, it is observed that Naga women still need a very strong movement to achieve gender equality.
Before Ishita Dey visited Nagaland, she had vivid ideas about social gender justice in the North East. Dey, a research associate and scholar from the Calcutta Research Group, traveled to parts of Manipur and Nagaland to study the avenues available to women in conflict and post-conflict areas.
Speaking to a number of women across Nagaland, Dey concludes that women in Nagaland need better negotiating skills to make their presence felt. “Naga women are very aware of their political rights. They just need better negotiating skills,” the Calcutta-based researcher says.
Having traveled to some interior parts of the state, Dey observed that empowerment of women varies from class to class and tribe to tribe. While appreciating the Naga women’s attempt at economic empowerment, Dey says that the social and political factors cannot be ignored. She says, “The indicators of empowerment could be different but the three factors cannot be bifurcated,” and wonders, despite their financial independence, if Naga women have the power to socially raise their voices.
Dey underlines the need for political empowerment of women, without which achieving any form of empowerment will mean nothing. “Women units are present in all villages in Nagaland but are they being represented in the larger picture?” she questions. Naga women she met expressed their opinions on issues of inheritance and customary laws, Dey says. Basing on her observation and interactions with several people, Dey says that more awareness needs to be created for women to get more space. Already existing organizations articulating women’s issues should have more dialogue on empowerment, she says.
“Naga women have to fight their own battle. They have to fight the stigma attached to social roles,” Dey says.
She further laments on the absence of a gender-based cell in colleges and universities in the state. She says the younger generation has to be sensitized on gender issues, show greater involvement and break down barriers of gender empowerment. Coming out strongly against domestic violence, Dey also senses that there needs to be a parallel focus on private and public issues of women.
