Empowering women for peace and development

Interactive session on women’s network focuses on where women stand in Nagaland and building networks with women organization in the North East

Morung Express News
Kohima | July 19

An interactive session on women’s network meeting was held which was organised by Control Arms Foundation of India and Manipur Gun Survivor Network along with Human Rights Law Network and Women Study Center, NU, Meriema Campus held on July 19 at Hotel Japfü.
 
The session is based on a project on empowering women for peace and development in South Asia jointly organised by Welthungerhilfe and Control Arms Foundation of India and European Union.

The interaction focused on where women stand in Nagaland and building networks with women organization in the North East region in India. The importance of building alliances among women’s group was highlighted by Rina, from Control Arms Foundation of India who pointed out that women play a crucial role in peace building starting from the family where women are the ones who negotiates in the arguments.

Neha Naqvi from the Welthungerhilfe which is currently working on empowering women for peace and development in South Asia  stressed that all interventions should be sustainable and highlighted the importance of connections of groups which can form a movement. The necessity to ensure building connections that goes beyond projects was also pointed out.
 

The activities of the project were presented by the representative from Control Arms Foundation of India. The project which aims to contribute towards promoting civil society and strengthening women-led peace building initiatives for sustainable peace in South Asia, has conducted workshops and on active role of women of North East in decision-making processes in local governance and engagement with civil society. The project also promoted for prevention, management and resolution of conflicts in Northeast, Capacity building of North East civil society organizations to increase engagement in policy dialogue for the effective implementation of SCR 1325.

As a follow up of the meeting, women representatives from the Northeast India will be facilitated to participate in different national and regional forums for women peace and security issues. Women representatives will be supported to attend these discussion forums and contribute to the dialogue process for framing of National Action Plan in alignment with UNSCR 1325 plus and CEDAW. Potential women leaders from the community will be selected to participate in national level events such as annual conventions, peace congregations. The project hopes to strengthen the advocacy initiatives at the national and regional level relating to the women, peace and security agenda in conflict and post conflict areas, putting women at centre-stage for the much conflict affected Northeast India for bringing collective peace and development in the region.