Dimapur, Oct.6 (EMN): The Western Sümi Totimi Hoho (WSTH) conducted a panel discussion on issues concerning gender rights and roles, on October 5 at the Christian Higher Secondary School in Dimapur
A press release that was issued to the media on Sunday gave updates about the programme. Various persons from the community gave their perspectives at the discussion.
Former minister Ihezhe Sema spoke on the topic ‘gender balance through customary laws’ and said that with the “change of time we should also adapt to it.”
An advocate Zhekheli Zhimomi spoke about the legal ways of “securing gender balance,” the press release stated.
Zhimomi said “if the men understood the rights of the women by themselves then we women won’t have to fight or ask for our rights.” She asserted that ‘men are able to venture out because of the women who look after the house.’
Hukato Shohe, administrator of Riverine school in Thilixu, said that nowadays, women pastors are also ordained “unlike the olden days.”
Y Vikheho Awomi , former DMC chairperson, said “Its’ been 55 years since the Nagas have entered into the field of politics but till now no Naga women legislators have emerged in the state. Living in a patriarchal society or maybe no women have made a strong impact as needed that many discussions have been conducted on gender balance but till now the rights of women are suppressed (sic).”
Hotokhu Chishi, additional director of Health and Family Welfare, spoke about how society perceives gender equity.
“Unlike many people’s thinking, there were no such rules during our forefathers that men’s work should be done by men or women’s work should be done by women but it was men who took up hard work which requires strength and muscles and women folks took the household works,” he said.
“Our forefathers gave high respect to the women folk who were very precious for them. Many Nagas think that the Sümis take a bride price during wedding but it is not a bride price but a gift (called ‘amhe’ in Sümi) offered to women for their honesty, gentility and purity and the bride’s parent offer double of it in the wedding (sic).”
Another speaker, G Jolly Zhimomi, president of the WSTH, said that the program was conducted “not to let the women take over the men but to let everybody give equal opportunity to women in every field.”
