Our Correspondent | EMN
KOHIMA, OCT 13: The two-day Consultation on ‘Securing Women’s rights: Challenges and Strategies’ concluded
today putting forward recommendations to the State Government for Human Rights & Gender sensitisation of institutions, actors, judicial system, parallel courts, community leaders and the church.
It has also called for creation of free legal aid cells for women in all districts and sub-districts and provision of short stay homes and other allied services.
The consultation had dwelt on documentation of customary practices related to women for all tribes in Nagaland and the need to remove discriminatory practices by way of carrying out campaigns, movements or lobbying for reforming customary practices. It highlighted the need to bring out writings and critical analyses from the State, resource allocation for gender budgeting, consultation of women’s groups for their recommendations and implementing recommendation of CEDAW committee on budgetary utilisation for women’s equality.
It has further urged sensitisation on DV Act for protection officers, service providers, effective implementation of RTI and Social Security Acts, awareness of RTI Act and social security, legal awareness for civil society groups as well as effective implementation of VDB Act to ensure representation of women in critical numbers and, if necessary, to amend the Act to this effect.
The recommendations emphasised on training and capacity building for women VDB members on leadership skills, amendment of Village Council Act to harmonise the Act with constitutional provisions and international obligations and immediate implementation of Nagaland Municipal amendment Act (2006) besides forming a network of women’s rights activists from the State to act as an effective lobby group on critical issues. It suggested that members be drawn from different walks of life, including women’s rights groups, lawyers, academics, unorganised workers and others, to share information and advocacy in order to build capacity for women’s organisations to network locally, nationally and globally.
Meanwhile, it has also impressed upon the Nagaland Women Commission to initiate and carry out gender sensitisation and capacity building for bureaucrats and policy makers while urging for a sustained capacity building on rights for women groups, organisations, women’s tribal units and Village Councils. It stressed for increasing budgetary allocation for Women’s Studies unit in the university and starting women’s studies cells in colleges while also calling for capacity building of potential women candidates in electoral processes, including training and exposure.
With regard to unorganised workers, it impressed upon the need for spreading awareness about domestic workers’ rights and also stated that the state should recognise domestic workers as workers. It pointed out the need for a policy on domestic workers while urging the central government to push for a convention on workers.
Further, it has also urged the State to develop a street vendors’ policy based on the national policy on Urban Street Vendors.
The recommendations added that there should be massive awareness campaign on the Social Security Act and for development projects to be brought in only after public debate.
Earlier, speaking at the valedictory function, OSD Planning Kevilenuo highlighted the steps taken by the State Government to empower women. Dwelling on the 33% Reservation for women, she stated that we have to see that it is enacted and implemented in a cordial manner.
She informed that gender budgeting has been drafted and would be taken up in the next assembly sitting.
Original Story: Eastern Mirror