Kohima: Nagaland Mini-ster for Social Welfare Kiyanilie Peseyie has said the state government was giving special attention to the women by encouraging them for self-sustenance and solely enacting punitive legislation for prevention and punishment of violence against women.
Speaking at the fortnight observation of Elimination of Violence against Women at the Town Hall of Dimapur yesterday, Mr Kiyanilie said enacting punitive legis-lation was not sufficient to address the problem of violence against women, but effecting wide societal changes in relation to gender inequalities would help in opening ways to reduce violence against women.
The women empower-ment would be the way to reduce violence against women, he added. He said the state government was according special attention to women and that it would facilitate in mitigating risks and promoting an enabling environment.
He, however, added, ‘Let us first move ahead and meet the challenges.’ The minister said violence against women was a manifestation of historically unequal power relations between men and women and that the problem was one of the crucial mecha-nisms by which women are forced into a subordinate position compacted with men.
Pointing out that Naga-land state is witnessing an alarming increase in the incidents of violence against women, the Nagaland State Commission for Women (NSCW) has reiterated its demand for the re-establishment of Fast Tracks Courts (FTCs) to deal speedily with cases of violence against women.
Speaking at the fortnight observation of ‘Elimination of Violence against Women,’ NSCW Chairperson Dr Temsula Ao reminded that the State Cabinet in September 2012, had decided to discontinue all FTCs after which all cases pertaining to crime against women were transferred to the Family Court.
Dr Temsula said it was not enough to enact law on violence against women if the implementation was not carried out in a proper manner.She said such lack of required infrastructure only makes a mockery of even the most stringent laws.(UNI)
