KOHIMA, NOVEMBER 21 (MExN): A three-day Training of Trainers (ToT) on gender began on November 21 at RD conference hall, Kohima for staff of the Nagaland State Rural Livelihoods Mission (NSRLM) from the state, district and block mission management units comprising of the state resource persons and district level trainers.
Resource persons are Aasha Ramesh, national resource person-Gender, NRLM, MoRD and Surekha Reddy, national resource person-Gender, NRLM cell, NIRD&PR.
Delivering the keynote address, M. Rollan Lotha, COO (Programs) NSRLM emphasized on the importance of consciously including gender issues in all aspects of the Mission's programs with a gender sensitive approach. He cited that the gender component needs to be reflected and applied through inclusive policies such as gender budgeting and other areas of focus and advised the participants as development professionals to begin by applying gender mainstreaming through their respective designated positions. He further informed that NRLM (National Rural Livelihoods Mission) has taken up Gender in a huge way with plans to integrate issues of gender in all its thematic components.
Giving an overview on objective of the ToT, Aasha Ramesh stressed on the importance of understanding gender for which the society has to come together and work in partnership with each other. She underlined that for any state to become really developed, there needs to be gender equality and equity and for this, policy makers have given much importance to NRLM as a flagship program to ensure social, economic and political strengthening of women to move forward. She urged the participants to internalize what gender is all about and to lead by example as NRLM has given this opportunity. While mentioning the unique social structure of the Nagas, the resource person talked on the importance of bringing changes through dialogues and engagements. Talking about the importance of the training, she also highlighted on the importance of observation, review, monitoring and further dissemination of information through further imparting of training cascading to the community level.
Gender through NRLM perspective was presented by Surekha Reddy where she underscored that Gender in NRLM is not just about issues of women but how to work on these issues along with men. The inaugural session was chaired by Khriezovonuo Lhoungu, State Program Manager (KMC & Gender) The three day ToT will focus on topics such as integration of gender in NRLM; marginalization, mainstream, vulnerability; gender concepts and stereotypes; division of labour; gender and development; decentralization; violence against women; social issues and life cycle stages, institutional mechanisms; gender operational strategy and integration in annual action plans.
It may be noted that Nagaland is one among four states across India to pilot gender mainstreaming under NRLM.
