KOHIMA, JULY 19 : A women’s network meet on ‘Empowering women for peace and development in South Asia: Focus on North East India’ organized by Manipur Women Guns Survivors Network (MWGSN) was held today at the conference hall of Hotel Japfii, Kohima.
The project aims at preventing and responding to crisis in fragile and conflict-affected situations in South Asia with a focus on conflict areas of North East India, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
The project also aims to contribute towards promoting civil society and strengthening women-led peace building initiatives for sustainable peace in India, Bangladesh and Myanmar. In North East India, it is spearheaded by Control Arms Foundation of India (CAFI) and supported by European Union (EU) and Welthungerlife (WHH).
A power presentation informed that the main goal of the project is to encourage active role of women of North East in decision-making processes in local governance and engagement with civil society promoted for prevention management and resolution of conflicts.
In a pamphlet handed out, North East India is said to have been facing the onslaught of multiple armed conflicts for many decades, which aggravated after the introduction of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958, where more than 50,000 lives have been lost in the violence.
The total population of North Eastern Region of India is 38,857,769 of which 19.1% are living below the poverty line. It also pointed out that NE India deals with complex socio-political issues such as struggle over natural resources, ethnic conflicts, illegal immigration, displacement and social exclusion.
Outlining the role of North East women in peace process and the need for women peace negotiators, it is said that women’s participation breaks the vicious cycle of women’s marginalization and subordination at all levels.
Further pointing out, it said civil society initiatives by women play a key role in peace and security development through their participation in conflict resolution and peace building processes, and that women peace negotiators understand and articulate the implications of peace processes for women better than male negotiators.
However, it has been noted that there is no participation of Northeast women in any decision-making processes, even in local panchayats, whereby their participation and role is limited to a formal presence without having the capacity, or mandate to contribute for setting or shaping the agenda of such negotiations.
