Participants of International Women's Day programme organized by Sisterhood Network at Samziuram village on March 8.
Dimapur, March 10 (MExN): On March 8 and 10, Sisterhood Network, with support from Actionaid and Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD), celebrated International Women’s Day in Samziuram, Peren and Tourist Lodge, Dimapur. The events were organized in partnership with FIMI-IIWF (Foro Internacional de Mujeres Indigenas – International Indigenous Women’s Forum) and focused on this year’s international theme, "DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality".
The two-day event aimed to strengthen grassroots women in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5 by 2030, and was attended by about 54 grassroots women from Samziuram and neighbouring villages, such as Beisumpuikam, New Chalkot, and Jalukieram, along with resource persons Asabo Newmai, Officer in-charge cyber cell/Data analysis, and Imtisunep Longchar, Director, Ilandlo services Pvt. Ltd, as per a press release received here on Friday.
At the programme in Samziuram, Kechetyile, Secretary of Beisumpuikam Women Society, shared about the progressive development of Beisumpuikam community with the inclusion of women in the village council decision-making body through Feminist Participatory Action Research (FPAR) leadership building initiative by Sisterhood Network. The inclusion of women in the decision-making body empowered the women society to find voice and stand for their rights.
The programme also included a participatory activity based on the theme, which highlighted the major issues stressed by women in their respective communities, including scarcity of water supply, improper road conditions, improper healthcare, domestic violence & sexual abuse, lack of computer lab/education in schools, unemployment, inclusion of women in decision-making, lack of proper education at government schools, lack of toilets for women, poverty, drugs and alcohol abuse, and career guidance for youth.
Similarly in Dimapur, the attendees were made aware of the most common cyber-crimes, such as phishing, loan & lottery, etc., by Asabo Newmai, and the use of digital technology for women’s economic autonomy by Imtisunep Longchar. Newmai highlighted the importance of turning on two-step verification, privacy, or security features on every app or social media account used, and also encouraged women to report cyber-crimes with caution to a concerned officer in-charge. Longchar encouraged the SHGs present at the program to leverage their quality of products through the use of sustainable materials and avoiding plastics for packaging, and to follow policies for business, such as FSSAI accreditation.
The two-day event ended with a powerful call-to-action by Arenzungla Jamir, Administrator, Sisterhood Network, in support of a new global treaty to address rising incidents of violence against women worldwide. The coalition of 2,000 women rights activists from 128 countries gained approximately 84 more women supporters for a new treaty that would make State obligations clear, specific, legally binding, and provide adequate attention to the problem’s scope and complexity. A new global treaty to end violence against women and girls would work in concert with Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and build on existing regional treaties and bring awareness to the rising violence against women and girls to achieve the SDG Goal 5 Gender Equality by 2030.
