Mindset that women cannot perform in certain Professions should change: Peseyie
Our Correspondent
Kohima | April 10
Bringing cheer to women in Nagaland, Minister for Social Welfare, Kiyanilie Peseyie, today formally launched the State Resource Centre for Women (SRCW) in Nagaland under the theme “Strengthening lives through her” at a function held at Hotel Vivor. The SRCW is the implementing agency of the National Mission for Empowerment of Women (NMEW). The Resource Centre functions under the aegis of Nagaland Sate Social Welfare Board (NSSWB), Kohima.
The SRCW provides institutional support to implement activities of the Mission in the state. The focus is to facilitate government and other stakeholders involved in women centric issues to implement gender sensitive programmes, laws and schemes though effectual coordination. Speaking on the occasion, Peseyie said the Union Ministry of Women & Child Development has taken a timely initiative to establish SRCW for women in all the states and union territories of the country.
Stating that NSSWB, being an essential department acting as service provider to “weaker sections” of society, the Minister stressed on the need to play a vital role to facilitate the processes that contribute to economic empowerment of women, social empowerment with emphasis on health and education, elimination of violence against women, gender mainstreaming of policies, programmes and institutional arrangements, awareness generation and advocacy for bridging information and service gaps.
Peseyie maintained such centres to be “very important in Nagaland” as women in the state still do not have much say in the decision making process at the domestic or professional level. “Even crimes in the form of violence, sexual harassment and witch-hunting continue to be a matter of concern,” he said.
“Many women, even today, do not have access to basic rights of education, health facilities, nutritious food, safe drinking water and sanitation,” Peseyie said, adding that the mindset of people that women cannot perform in certain professions has to change.
Facilities for skill development and credit have to be made accessible to women so that they can start their own venture and the State Resource Centre will address all these problems, he said adding that such centres will be established at the district and village level in a pilot project mode in the future. “The welfare of our people is a priority so let us take optimum advantage of this new initiative,” he said adding that it will bring together schemes and programmes of different ministries, both of central and state government, making them accessible to women.
Earlier, Dellirose M. Sakhrie, Additional Secretary, Social Welfare, said the SRCW will be headed by the Chief Secretary and the secretaries of key departments, Secretary of social welfare department and Secretary NSSWB will be a member to the SRWC. The SRCW will monitor and review flagship programmes/schemes of the ministries/state departments and act as a link between the central/state government and the grassroots level. Recently, a convergence model in the districts, block and village level has been conceived by the SRCW and based on approval received from NMEW a pilot project will be taken up in Kohima district in the first phase, she said.
The SRCW will regularly review and evaluate existing policies, programmes and legislations impacting women and accordingly submit suitable recommendations before the State Mission Authority (SMA) and National Resource Centre for Women (NRCW).
It will work towards convergence of women centric programmes/schemes of various central and state governments and gender mainstreaming of government programs, so as to make gender concerns integral to the planning process. SRCW shall create an environment through awareness generation to fuel demand by women for schemes/programmes and facilitate the process through which the gap between demand and supply can be reduced.
Earlier the programme was chaired by Executive Director, SRCW, P. Daisy Mezhur, invocation by Rev. Moa Longchari, BMCK, while special number was presented by Nibano V. Swuro. The function was followed by visit to a photo gallery presented by Gallery Monet.
