A survey has revealed that women's participation in Gram Sabha discussions and decision-making in Nagaland is among the lowest in the country
Interesting yet contradictory reports on the status of girls and women in Nagaland have emerged, exposing a stark contrast between their educational achievements and their decision-making power—a paradox that demands serious reflection. A recent report by the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) reveals that girls significantly outnumber boys in enrolment in higher education institutions in Nagaland during the 2023–24 academic year. The state's Gender Parity Index (GPI) stands at 1.33, well above the national average of 1.11. Similarly, Nagaland's Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education is 21.3 for females compared to 16.5 for males, highlighting women's stronger participation in colleges and universities. The survey also found that women constitute the majority of the teaching workforce in higher education, with 1,690 women among the state's total faculty strength of 2,872. These findings are consistent with broader educational trends in the state. Girls have consistently recorded lower dropout rates and better academic performance than boys in the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) and Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate (HSSLC) examinations conducted by the Nagaland Board of School Education. Official data further shows that between 2021 and 2024, girls not only outperformed boys in board examinations but also registered higher enrolment rates and lower dropout and repetition rates across all levels of education—from primary to higher secondary. These are encouraging indicators of progress. Education has the potential to transform lives, empower women, narrow gender disparities, and equip them to assert their rights. Yet, despite these achievements, education has failed to dismantle deeply entrenched gender discrimination rooted in cultural norms, social practices, and patriarchal attitudes. Women continue to be excluded from meaningful decision-making in society.
A finding published in the National Study Report reveals that women's participation in Gram Sabha (village assembly) discussions, decision-making, and community-level governance in Nagaland is among the lowest in the country, with only 80 per cent of respondents affirming that women participate. Even this figure may be inflated, considering that women are rarely elected to village councils—the primary grassroots governing institutions responsible for framing local policies and resolving disputes. To put this into perspective, the government of Nagaland successfully implementing 33 per cent reservation for women in the Urban Local Body (ULB) elections held in 2024 after a two-decade-long impasse. However, no such reservation exists for village councils, where critical decisions affecting communities are made. Likewise, the election of two women to the Nagaland Legislative Assembly in 2023—the first women legislators in the state's six decades of statehood—underscores how limited women's representation in political decision-making has been.
Breaking this cycle of underrepresentation may appear easy, but the barriers are deeply rooted in social and cultural structures, particularly in a patriarchal society like ours. Meaningful change requires more than discussions and symbolic milestones. It calls for concrete policy measures, institutional reforms, and sustained societal efforts to expand women's participation in leadership and decision-making at every level. True empowerment is not measured solely by educational attainment. It is realised when women have an equal voice in shaping decisions, when their perspectives are valued and incorporated, and when they participate meaningfully in matters that influence their communities. Only then can education truly fulfil its promise as an instrument of equality and social transformation.