Nagaland advocacy seminar in Kohima

Posted on January 19, 2017 0 Comments40
While safety of women is a national concern with the average crime rate for 2015 being a staggering 56.3%,
Nagaland with only 6% average crime rate recorded during the same period, makes it the safest state in India.

This was informed during the Nagaland Advocacy meeting working towards ensuring Nagaland state diversity policy and a gender just
society, convened by control arms foundation of India and Manipur women gun survivors network in collaboration with English department, Nagaland University, today at Hotel Japfu.

 Speaking at the seminar, retired chief secretary Nagaland Alemtemshi Jamir opined that the low rate of crime against women in Nagaland could be due to unreported crimes but hastened to add that women in Nagaland were respected.  On the ongoing tussle over 33% women reservation, he maintained it was not a fight between men and women but about certain issues and also not about discrimination.

Further, he said the issue of Naga customs and traditions needed to be clearly defined since it was vital against apprehensions of being
swamped by a larger society. Alemtemshi also said Naga women were free to participate in elections as nobody prevented them. He said the issue was however about free and fair election where force and money power discouraged women from entering election.

He said women need to look beyond livelihood and income for total empowerment. Alemtemshi felt that women should also aim to become industrialists and have wealth to enter politics.

He said women have a role in the economic growth of the state, which was an important aspect of women empowerment. He reminded that all were living in a world of survival of the fittest and therefore, women need to strive to be the fittest to survive.

Also speaking at the seminar, Chairperson Nagaland State Women Commission (NSWC) Dr. Temsula Ao said amid the fast paced modernisation taking place, women, who have been sustaining Naga society for centuries, were excelling in all aspects but unfortunately this was not so in rural areas.

She regretted that despite having most benefitted by modernisation, men have not changed their mindset. Dr. Temsula said it did not matter how much dialogue was held vis-à-vis women’s rights, since even the educated men and those holding high positions in the government, held on to their egos and felt threatened by women.

On elimination of crimes against women, she said mere passing of laws would not help as what was needed was showing more sympathy. She said many crimes went unreported because women victims were under pressure from family of clan and which made women more vulnerable.

Dr. Temsula felt that everyone was guilty of discrimination in one way or the other such as racial, in work places etc. She described
election practise as being bereft of any ideology except the language of money. She opined that the Nagas were unprepared for switchover to a democratic form of government as voting was on the basis of clan, tribe etc.

Associate professor Nagaland University and Advisor NMA Dr.Rosemary Dzüvichü went all out against discrimination in society saying

that those with softer voices have no place in a gender biased society where even smaller religious denominations were being discriminated against.

She said the gender discrimination was passed down and the danger to Naga society came from perpetrating such discriminations.

Dr Rosemary also disclosed that women leaders of NMA held a series of consultations with men, tribal organisations etc and realised that

there was a feeling of insecurity and vested interests which has made women like a foot ball in the game of patriarchy.

She said it was unfortunate that women reservation was being used as a tool to fight electoral politics, internal politics and state
politics. She said while democracy was inclusive of all, yet Naga democracy was devoid of women who make up 48% of the population.

 The seminar was jointly organised and chaired by Binalakshmi Nepram secretary general Control Arms Foundation of India and founder
Manipur Women Gun Survivors’ Network in collaboration with English department under Nagaland University.

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