SHILLONG, Nov 4: Congress leader and chairperson of the Meghalaya Assembly Standing Committee for the Empowerment of Women, Ampareen Lyngdoh on Thursday questioned the state government on the inordinate delay in the appointment of the chairperson of Meghalaya State Commission for Women (MSCW).
She said the appointment hangs fire despite several women petitioning the government from time to time. She alleged the state’s important commissions are not getting due attention from the government.
“I really do not know why the government is taking so long to install these important functionaries whose sole purpose will be to empower women and protect their rights. We need to put pressure on the government to come out with its decision,” Lyngdoh said.
She said the government will cite reasons such as the formation of some committee and the derailment of the process by the pandemic and the by-elections. She said the matrilineal community without the presence of the MSCW chairperson would put the state in a bad light outside.
Referring to the various studies and scrutiny done by NITI Aayog and private agencies on the state’s progress in last few years, Lyngdoh said, “We have seen that women are actually very poorly empowered. We are matrilineal in as far as the inheritance of our titles is concerned. We need to look at all these issues.”
Stating that there are women questioning why someone from the weaker sex should not be elected to the post of Rangbah Shnong, she said, “Now women feel they are matrilineal only in name and hence, these recommendations are coming from them. If the women commission is put in place at the earliest, we can look at all the other issues that the state needs to address to ensure women empowerment”.
She pointed out that the state’s maternal mortality rate and infant mortality rate are alarming. Then, there are the issues of trafficking, unavailability of all-woman rehabilitation centers for those having issues with drugs, she said.
“Till today, the state does not have an all-woman rehabilitation centre. They are all privately-run institutions and when we talk about them, we do not undermine their contributions but the cost factor becomes a problem for women to receive the help they need,” Lyngdoh said.
“I am sure there are enough women on the list and the government has to pick just one. There will be lobbying but it should come up with a name and make women feel secure,” she said.
The term of the previous body of the MSCW expired in October last year.