By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 2: Chairperson of the Meghalaya State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MSCPCR), Agatha Sangma, on Tuesday reiterated her appeal for the state government to consider a policy that would allow women employees—especially mothers—a few hours off each week to spend meaningful time with their children.
Sangma said she hoped the government would take up the idea because she genuinely felt it was a productive recommendation. She stressed that such hours should be designed in a way that makes them truly useful for mothers, not for completing household chores, but for communicating with their children, understanding them better and spending quality time with them.
The proposal was first placed before the government in November. At the time, Sangma had explained that the idea emerged from a conversation with a District Child Protection Officer who often spends long hours dealing with children in distress, leaving her with very limited time for her own family. Sangma said the discussion prompted her to reflect on how the government could take the lead by allowing working mothers a few hours off every week. She had suggested that mothers could use this period to engage their children with age-appropriate educational materials and speak to them about important subjects such as safe and unsafe touch and other issues that adolescents may encounter.
According to her, the intention behind the proposal is to strengthen communication between mothers and their children, and to encourage early, meaningful conversations within families. Sangma maintained that dedicating structured time for such interaction could significantly contribute to the emotional well-being and safety of children.
