International Women’s Day 2022 was celebrated by NEN Meghalaya at three locations viz. Nongmensong locality in the East Khasi Hills, Marngor village in the West Khasi Hills and North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Society, Shillong office. Nongmensong and Marngor village hosted their very first Women’s Day celebration on the 8th of March, 2022 with North East Network and the Mahila Samiti of Nongmynsong.
The event brought together the founding members of the Samiti who were the pioneers of the feminist movement in Meghalaya during the 70’s and 80’s. Their journey has been long and difficult but IWD was the perfect occasion to felicitate these inspiring women and celebrate achievements that women have fought for and conquered. The programme also gave a platform for the talented women and young girls to showcase their skills. Community Women leaders were also felicitated for their fight against substance abuse, bringing roads to their villages, forming and organising women’s group and working round the clock for a better community.
In Marngor, West Khasi Hills, women from various areas of the district came together united to participate in the celebration. NEN felicitated Community Women Leaders of the district who endured many hardships and yet endeavored, strived, fought their way for equal opportunities in a patriarchal world and led the way for future generations of women and girls to gain the same. Women also showcased the richness of the Khasi culture through a traditional Khasi Dance. Various sports like ‘Tug-of-War’, Football and an old indigenous Khasi game of ‘Dieng Poin’ were also organised where women participated whole heartedly.
The North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Society, Shillong office held a ‘Consultation and Experience Sharing’ for all its employees on the theme “BreakTheBias”. Joy Grace Syiem, NEN Meghalaya facilitated the session. The participants discussed mindsets and social norms that create a gender bias in their day to day lives. The session was participatory and highlighted gender barriers that needed to challenged starting from their families and even at workplace. The programme concluded with a felicitation of all the women employees.
