Two –day state level consultation workshop on “Naga women rights and role in Naga society” organized by Bethesda Youth Welfare Centre (BYWC) got underway here at Circuit house Dimapur on Tuesday.
The speakers for the two day workshop were former additional advocate general & former CBI standing counsel, P.Pius Lotha, executive director, CABA, Dr.Joyce Angami, advocate Guwahati high court, Kohima bench, Apila Sangtam and assistant professor, Dimapur government college, A. Sentiyula.
Speaking on the impact of “mineral like oil, coal mining and its impact on women and AFSPA, its long term impact on girls and women in Nagaland”, P.Pius Lotha said the impact on the girl and women would be through hazardous and correlated effect in work place and the direct impact of abusive and extra judicial authority in discharge of duty.
Lotha said that in terms of employment for girl and women it could be classified into skilled and unskilled workmanship. He mentioned undertaking of mineral oil required trained skilled workmanship where girl/woman participation was found to be less. However in industry like coal mining, Pius added that many girls and womenfolk participated in coal bearing areas due to limited source of earning otherwise. Despite the fact that child labour was illegal in India, Puis mentioned that due to hardworking nature of young girls, they have been legally entitled to work in the coal belt.
Pius elaborated that pathetic living condition of many uneducated and innocent girls compelled them to encounter unpleasant situations in workplaces. He said that there were many cases of young girl victims which have gone unreported. In this regard, Pius informed that several regulations have been passed by government to ensure safety of women in workplaces, although they have been seldom followed. He cited how United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has framed certain policies, while Indian government has introduced the Disha project to create opportunities for women in India.
On Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) in Nagaland, Pius said that Nagaland has suffered untold sufferings under AFSPA for many years. Pius opined that government should device a formula where rights and privileges of the local people were protected, rather than imposing alien way of life since Naga hill tribes were totally different from main land people. Pius felt that central government needed to listen to the recommendations of various commissions for abrogation of AFSPA.
While speaking on “socio economic issues of Naga woman and their role and challenges”, Dr. Joyce Angami said Naga women were caught between traditionalism and modernization. In such scenario she said, proper planning, implementation and evaluation of programmes and schemes would lead to sustainable livelihood activities and eradication of poverty. She hoped that this would ultimately lead to economic empowerment of women which in turn would enhance their social status. She expressed that quality education and conducive environment, opportunities and support by agencies could enable Naga women to realize their potential in raising the economic status of women and empower them.
Delivering keynote address, program director, Bethesda Youth Welfare Centre (BYWC), Chumben Humtsoe believed that collective mind from different professions would help give an insightful and meaning discussion on the topic.
He informed that gender equality was a fundamental right as any other in the national and international bills of rights and that foundation for a peaceful and prosperous world and its observation could help fuel economic growth and benefit societies and the human race at large.
While acknowledging that woman issue has been recognized by Millennium Development Goal (MDG), to ensure gender equality, Chumben observed that objective of the workshop would be to identify through various aspects. He said this would include impact on Naga woman by Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) and minerals like oil and coal mining; to identify scopes and gap on accessibility by Naga woman of legal and customary set up; to identify social issues and ways and means to address them. He also said that one needed to identify the role of Naga woman towards Naga society and to identify issues for further in-depth dialogue and research.
Advocate Guwahati high court, Kohima bench, Apila Sangtam spoke on “legal right/customary law and its accessibility and impact on Naga woman”.
Earlier, welcome address and introduction was delivered by executive director, BYWC, W.C. Humtsoe, while closing remark was given by coordinator, human rights and climate change, BYWC, Enoch Kithan.
The workshop would culminate on August 30, where assistant professor, Dimapur government college, A. Sentiyula would present on the topic “killing the angelic peacemaking mother of time immemorial”.