A three-day regional workshop on gender and social inclusion attended by representatives from eight states of Northeast State Rural Livelihoods Missions (SRLMs) under Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Livelihoods Mission (NRLM), Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) got underway Tuesday at Rhododendron Resort, Phesama Kohima. The workshop hosted by Nagaland State Rural Livelihoods Mission (NSRLM) would culminate on May 4.
A press release by NSRLM informed that special guest of the inaugural session, commissioner and secretary RD, government of Nagaland, Neposo Theluo stated that a noteworthy feature of DAY-NRLM was the gender mainstreaming initiatives where all the programmatic activities and strategies are working towards ensuring equity and a gender-just society.
He also remarked on the inclusive approach where the marginalized and most vulnerable sections of society are being mobilized so that they could grow together as a community with a sense of belongingness in an otherwise segregating culture.
Theluo said the northeast states are generally close-knit where people come together to help the weaker sections in times of need.
He said there are aspects of the societal set-up where behavioural change was not easy when a community becomes comfortable with the way of living but added that change was needed for growth.
Theluo expressed hope that the workshop would be a meeting of experiences and model practices where the best fit for each state would be framed and the vulnerable community would be included in decision-making positions through the right platforms and they would get access to rightful entitlements; thereby fulfilling their dreams and aspirations in the process.
Delivering the introductory note, mission director, NSRLM, Imtimenla, stated that, over the years of implementation of the noble mission, there have been challenges. However, Imtimenla said with support from the ministry and the parent department, the state missions have overcome the most daunting tasks as per the objective strategy of DAY-NRLM’s vision, which was to build strong institutions of the poor towards attainment of self-sustaining, vibrant and wholesome institutions.
India being such a diverse country, and the northeast with its own unique diversities, she said it would be a good opportunity for cross learning about other people’s cultures and traditions, best practices, which would strengthen bonds and pave the way for symbiotic relations amongst the SRLM states and union territories in social development initiatives.
Giving the overview of the workshop, state mission manager, Manipur SRLM, Binota Laitongbam, said social inclusion was being taken up as a special project to include the most vulnerable sections of society through various processes such as the participatory identification of poor.
The inaugural session was chaired by state program manager-SISD, NSRLM, Khriezovonuo Lhoungu, invocation by Phesama Baptist Church Pastor Rokovilie Zashümo while program manager-SISD, NSRLM, Kenivole Richa felicitated the guests.
The three-day workshop would be facilitated by national resource person, DAY-NRLM, Kalamani Arumugam. Participants are from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
NE SRLMs workshop on gender & social inclusion
