Kohima:The Government of India had set up a High Level Committee on the Status of Women to undertake comprehensive study to understand women in India and to evolve appropriate policy interven-tions based on a contem-porary assessment of women’s needs.
Official sources said that the committee comprises of a chairperson, a member secretary and 17 members and the High Level Commit-tee on the Status of Women New Delhi headed by the Chairperson, Dr. Pam Rajput and her team members paid a visit to Christ King Higher Secondary School in Kohima on Thursday for a brief interaction with the members of the Nagaland Adolescent Girls’ Club (NAGC). Adolescent girls who attended the meet enthusiastically interacted with the team, and shared their ambitions in life, and their various activities.
Dr. Monisha Behal a member of the team infor-med them of the Skills Development Programme of the Government of India through which young peo-ple can receive training in various fields.
Dr. Simrit Kaur, one of the members shared about her experiences in other states such as Bihar, where adoles-cent girls have gone to create health awareness with girls in their commu-nities. Dr. Ravi Verma, one of the team members shared on the importance of having similar activities for adolescent boys as well. The committee, after their visit to Christ King School, the team visited the women prison cell at Kohima Jail.
The team also held a meeting with the Nagaland State Commission for Women, Directorate of Social Welfare, Nagaland State Social Welfare Board and the State Resource Centre for Women. The Departments made a brief presentation of the pro-blems and loopholes that had been observed in the various centrally sponsored schemes and programmes being implemented by their respective Departments.
The committee had lively, informative and con-structive dialogue/discus-sion after the presentations, which segued into the meeting with the Village Council Members, Village Development Boards including women members, the Civil Society groups, NGOs and activists working on gender issues. Members of the Village Development Board, tribal women organi-zations, Naga Mothers’ Association (NMA) and Nagaland University and shared their concerns and challenges.
The Chairperson inquired into the various forms of gender discrimi-nation especially in the rural areas and women’s level of participation in the decision making bodies, various forms of violence and mech-anisms in place to address them.
She requested all the Departments and civil societies to write to the Committee and share any research studies related to women, concerning their challenges and recom-mendations which can contribute towards evolving appropriate policy inter-ventions. (UNI)
