DIMAPUR, JUNE 23: The governor of Nagaland PB Acharya has launched a helpline for women ‘Helpline-181’ on Thursday. Acharya launched the facility in the premises of the district hospital of Dimapur besides inaugurating the Sakhi one-stop centre, intended to support women affected by violence both in private and public spaces. Addressing the gathering, PB Acharya said that the society was seeing women marching ahead in every field. He highlighted the multiple roles played by women as home makers, guardians of children and ‘the hard work put in by them in every field.’
“Yet despite all these, sometimes women are taken for granted and not looked at as human beings due to greed for money and entertainment and we should change this mindset with all seriousness”, the governor said.
The governor also observed that domestic violence was being committed by own near-and-dear ones. Terming women as the living force behind the human race, Acharya reminded the gathering that women were ‘our mothers, our sisters and our daughters.’ He was optimistic that the problems of distressed women would be addressed through the project. He has appealed to stakeholders to cooperate ‘so that violence against women declines.’
The minister for Social Welfare and Parliamentary Affairs, Kiyaneilie Peseyie, who was also present at the ceremony, appealed to the people to ‘cooperate for strengthening the security of women.’ “Let us all join hands to bring unity, peace and prosperity in our land”, he said. The deputy commissioner of Dimapur, Kesonyu Yhome, also addressing the event, said that the project was relevant and timely. ‘Violence against women needs to be addressed with urgency as a social concern. The real test of the project will be seen when services are provided to the women in need to achieve the commitment,” he said.
The chairperson of the Nagaland State Commission for Women, Dr. Temsula Ao, also spoke during the occasion. She said that violence against women was escalating and, she felt, the ‘need for introspection at the obstacles put up by society.’ ‘Why do we even need such centres? We have to consider and question ourselves as the biggest threats are from within,’ she said. Ao hoped that the centre would ‘encourage women in finding justice.’
