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Women account for almost half of Nagaland’s population with a 49.79% vote share in the upcoming Nagaland Assembly election but only four out of the total 183 candidates (barring one who won uncontested) in the fray are women, which is a 6.67%.
Three political parties -- Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party, Bharatiya Janata Party, and Indian National Congress -- have fielded four women candidates -- Salhoutunuo Kruse, Rosy Thompson, Kahuli Sema and Hekani Jakhalu.
No woman has been elected to the Nagaland Legislative Assembly, the highest decision-making body of the state, since the attainment of statehood in 1963.
In the 2018 election five women --Awan Konyak (NDPP) and Rakhila (BJP), Wedie-u Kronu (NPP), Rekha Rose Dukru (Independent) and Dr. K Mangyangpula Chang (NPP) -- contested but failed to make a breakthrough.
This time around, the four women who will be contesting the upcoming election are also among the new faces.
The 56-year-old NDPP candidate Salhoutuonuo Kruse from 8 Western Angami Assembly Constituency is the wife of late Kevisekho Kruse, who contested the 2018 election from the same seat and party ticket.
She will contest against the sitting MLA Keneizhakho Nakhro (IND).
Her major focus includes youth and women empowerment, skill development and employment, improving the quality of life of the people by enhancing governance and security, creating a model constituency and equal infrastructural development and representation of urban and rural areas. She also said she wants to achieve and carry out the aspirations and goals her late husband left behind.
Having actively been involved in NGOs for 24 years encouraged her to enter politics. She told Eastern Mirror that women are now realising the importance of being in the government, and being in the decision-making process to help society and the people.
To her, one also needs to change the mindset of dwelling on practices of the forefather which are no longer suitable in the present-day generation.
“During headhunting days, women's job was to look after the households and men were supposed to be in good health to defend their women and the village. Those were the right things to do for that period. But now, there is no headhunting yet those traits were passed down to us and because of that mindset, women are not coming forward in politics”, she observed.
She added that not all traditional practices are good or bad - some are good and some are bad.
The key to changing these embedded mindsets would be providing education to women. It is education that broadens one’s horizon and without which people become narrow-minded, she added.
Social activist-turned-politician, Hekani Jakhalu (Kense), will be contesting from 3 Dimapur-III Assembly Constituency on an NDPP ticket.
The 48-year-old will be contesting against four other opponents -- Azheto Zhimomi (LJP-RV), Vetetso Lasuh (INC), Lun Tungnung (IND) and Kahuto Chishi Sumi (IND).
Her main focus includes empowering the youth of the state, women empowerment, creating a model constituency, and uplifting minority communities.
Jakhalu, who has worked with the youth for 17 years, is of the view that if Nagaland is to progress ‘we have to nurture and build our young people’. ‘Youth is our biggest asset. If they are able to stand on their own feet and become independent, their dreams will be achieved,’ she said, adding that she will ‘fight for the youth’.
Stating that there are no women in Nagaland’s highest decision-making body, she said there is an urgent need for women to be represented in the NLA. ‘Only if we empower the women, they empower the society’, she said.
Creating Dimapur III as a model constituency is also one of her personal manifestoes, which would include providing education to all children, healthcare, and basic amenities.
A long-time Indian National Congress party worker, Rosy Thomson, will now contest the ensuing general election from the 6 Tening Assembly Constituency. She is the only woman candidate from among the 23 contesting the upcoming state election on Congress ticket.
Based in Ahthibung, Peren, she will contest against five notable opponents including sitting MLA Namri Nchang (NCP), Tarie Zeliang (NDPP), Zandi Domta (MPP), Dr. Tumda Newme (IND), and Henry Zeliang (NPF).
The 58-year-old said she joined Congress party during her college days in late 1980s, intending to contest the election from the start but time did not permit her, and also because of financial constraints and other matters until this election.
She said that her main focus is women empowerment. In many states, there are numerous women who have been elected and were given crucial portfolios. ‘Even in Meghalaya and Manipur, women were given good posts but in Nagaland they don’t count us (women)’, she said and expressed hope that a woman will win this time.
She further added that all women voters should support women candidates and called upon the women to vote for the upliftment of women.
Besides that, her area of focus also includes youth empowerment and development for the area and for the state as a whole.
BJP’s lone female candidate Kahuli Sema is the first woman Engineer-in-Chief among the Sumi community and the second within the Nagas. She will be contesting from 32 Atoizu Assembly Constituency against Er Picto Shohe (NCP).
The 57-year-old took voluntary retirement from the post of Engineer-in-Chief to enter politics. After serving the government for 34 and half years, she has taken voluntary retirement to play a bigger role as she wants to be a part of the development.
She wants to bring chang for the people, but in order to do that she has to be in the highest decision-making body, Sema said. Therefore, she revealed that she is availing voluntary retirement to participate in politics.
She opined that women’s empowerment should not only be confined within the corridors of bureaucracy or other fields but it should also be expand towards the political field. She appealed to the people to support the few women candidates in the ensuing state election and expounded that ‘if it’s not today then tomorrow may never happen’.
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