Chizokho Vero
Kohima | May 14
Steps to tackle the menace of trafficking in women and girls, setting up of women police cells in all the districts, making laws relating to ownership and inheritance of property gender justly, are among the many recommendations in the Nagaland Draft State Policy for the Empowerment of Women, 2003.
It is learnt that the policy is under consideration by the state government.
Setting up of a State Commission for Women to promote the interests of women, formation of Women Development Corporations (WDC) to channel financial assistance for promotion of economic enterprises by women, poverty alleviation and employment generation to be considered for Nagaland, provision of financial resources for training and advocacy for women’s participation at all levels of decision-making also finds mention in the draft policy.
The recommendation also includes the judicial system be made more responsive and gender sensitive especially in cases of domestic violence and personal assault, changes in the personal laws related to marriage, divorce, maintenance, inheritance, guardianship etc. to eliminate discrimination against women, vocational education and gender sensitivity be incorporated in the school curriculum, social development and health consequences of HIV/AIDS to be tackled from a gender perspective.
Women’s health care and counseling centres be set up at the village level, special efforts to tackle the nutrient deficiencies especially amongst pregnant and lactating women, institutions/ mechanisms for prevention of crimes against women be established, access to credit and training for women to set up self-employment ventures, quota for girls in institutions of higher and technical education and encouraging women to participate in developmental process by providing support services like child care facilities at work places, home for short stay and free legal aid, were the other recommendations.
According to Nagaland State Human Development Report, the draft policy on empowerment of women, 2003 was declared after extensive consultations.
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