NSCW for gender equality
Nagaland joined the people around the world Tuesday to mark the International Women’s Day (IWD) 2016, which was celebrated on the campaign theme “pledge for parity”.
This year’s IWD campaign is asking everyone both men and women to pledge to take a concrete step to help achieve gender parity more quickly – whether to help women and girls achieve their ambitions, call for gender-balanced leadership, respect and value difference, develop more inclusive and flexible cultures or root out workplace bias.
Advocating the United Nation call in achieving gender equality around the world, the Nagaland State Commission for Women (NSCW) chairperson, Dr. Temsula Ao Tuesday called upon younger generation to engage their energy and share their ideas in addressing the issue with regard to the subordinate status of Naga women.
“Through there have been certain concessions given to women in our patriarchal society, much needed to be done by the educated classes”, she said.
Dr. Temsula said this while speaking at the seminar on gender sensitization among the youths organized by NSCW in collaboration with Patkai Christian College (autonomous) at Bundrock hall on International women’s day.
She said the issue has become a “notional priority” on account of the continued domination by men in all aspects.
However, to bring the women in par with the counterpart, the chairperson said NSCW has been travelling far and wide within the state encouraging women to speak out demanding their rightful status and respect in the society.
She said gender sensitization should be viewed as universal human issue since mutual respect between the genders was the cornerstone in creating congenial atmosphere where one gender recognises the “uniqueness” of the other. “Such level of parity and peaceful co-existence cannot be brought by either legislation or any number of statutes in the law books” said Dr. Temsula and added that attitudinal change towards women could be achieved only through a process of sensitization beginning from home.
She further called upon all concern to extend support and cooperation in formulating a model code of conduct based on mutual acceptance respecting each other’s right.
A brief work of NSCW was delivered by member NSCW, Kakheli Jakhalu.
Assistant professor, department of political science, Wetshete Thopi and assistant professor, department of English, Akangsenla Jamir also spoke on the occasion.
Women ready to take up the challenge: Banuo
Speaking as the special guest on the occasion of IWD at Elim Hall, DABA Dimapur, former chief secretary, Banuo Z. Jamir said that in an attempt at empowering and removing the shackles of century of wrong notions of women being the weaker sex, women should not also prove their points of equality by simply imitating men and trying to behave and act like them. “It is not that man or the woman is better than the other — it is just that men and women respond differently due to their make-up,” she said.
Banuo said it was unfair to put the burden of the inequalities on the argument that men kept women under suppression and therefore did not allow them to develop.
Banuo said “we as women are aware today of the inequalities because of knowledge and exposure and ability to compare”, adding that it was necessary to consider the impact of the same knowledge and exposure on the part of men also. The environment in Nagaland today, she said was ready and right for women to take up the challenge of directly participating in policy making, for the promotion of development in the state and society.
Stating that women have always made a difference and they would continue to make a difference, the special guest, however, said it depended on the willingness of women to break ground to make this difference.
She also maintained that unless women supported women it would not be possible for men to do so on their own.
On the occasion, she prayed that God would bestow wisdom to bring about gender equity and parity in the society.
Earlier, NACWR treasurer Azungla Imsong delivered welcome note, NACWR president N.K. Keny gave presidential note and NACWR advisor K. Ela conducted felicitation.
The formal programme was followed by panel discussion on the theme.
The celebration was organized by Miqlat Ministry and Sisterhood Network in collaboration with Nagaland Alliance for Children and Women Rights (NACWR), Nagaland State Legal Services Authority (NSLSA) and Nagaland State Commission for Women (NSCW).