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KOHIMA — Living up to Tseminyu's tag as a "historical district", women representatives have made history in the recent Tseminyu Town Council (TTC) elections, securing five out of nine councillor positions.
Ruth Thong of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and Sole Tep, an Independent candidate, were unanimously elected as Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the town council respectively.
This outcome follows the first-ever Nagaland Urban Local Body (ULB) elections with a 33% reservation for women. Across the state, 102 women secured victories, with eight, including Thong and Tep, winning from unreserved seats.
Thong, who won by a significant margin of 60 votes against two male opponents, emphasised the symbolic importance of this victory.
Given Tseminyu's designation as a 'historical district' for its contributions to Naga history, she told Eastern Mirror, "We (women representatives) decided to create a history."
Reflecting on the significance of women in leadership roles in a patriarchal society like Nagaland, she noted that society is still “reluctant” and “does not fully accept” women leadership due to societal norms.
While acceptance will take time, “women are slowly taking up leadership positions in the state”, she added.
Thong, a mother of two, said she drew inspiration from her late father, who firmly believed in women's abilities to succeed without the need for reservations. At the same time, she also opined that without the 33% reservation, women would not have been bold enough to fight in the elections.
This provision, she said, emboldened women to come forward and participate.
This perspective is rooted in her own experience of advocating for women in politics.
Before entering electoral politics, she spent nine years working with an NGO, where she championed the cause of women's reservation during the 2017 ULB elections, though without success at the time.
Now, reflecting on her journey, the 48-year-old credits divine guidance for the transformative change she has witnessed, stating that it is God who is doing the change and guiding her from the beginning.
On the council’s plans for the town, Thong shared that the council will convene a meeting within the next few days to formulate a comprehensive plan of action. However, she highlighted improving the town's drainage system as a top priority among the many issues they aim to address.
“We were elected by the people so we will also give our best,” she asserted.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chairperson Sole Tep, who secured her seat by a margin of 44 votes, expressed gratitude to her male counterparts for the opportunity to lead the council.
She said that there are basic issues including drainage, circular road, and footpaths that need to be addressed.
The remaining councillors of TTC are Senyile Woch (NDPP), Kegwalo Magh (JDU), Tracy Kent (NDPP), Nathan Kent (JDU), Joshua Kent (JDU), Julie Kent (NDPP), and Enock Wanth (JDU).