Dimapur, Dec. 2 (EMN): Some may argue that incidents of gender-based violence is relatively less in Nagaland but scholars are of the view that such cases are under-reported in the state due to social stigma and societal pressure associated with it and expressed the need to respond when encountered with violent incidents.
This was expressed by speakers at a panel discussion on “Creating Safe Spaces: Understanding Violence against Women” organised by Women Cell and Anti-Sexual Harassment Committee of Tetso College, Dimapur in collaboration with the Nagaland State Women Commission (NSWC) on December 2 to mark the United Nations’ 16-day campaign against all forms of violence on women.
An update from Tetso College informed that the institute created a space for discourse, dialogue and deliberation through a panel discussion with Dr. Chubatola Aier, principal of C-Edge College, and Rev. Dr. Ellen Konyak Jamir, associate professor of Pastoral Counselling and Psychotherapy, Oriental Theological Seminary, as the resource speakers.
Resource speaker Dr. Aier stated at the panel discussion that violence can be interpreted as a show of strength or passion which generally possesses destructive connotations and that everybody is involved in acts of violence intentionally or unintentionally owing to “mankind’s fallen nature” though everybody ‘claims not to uphold or propagate violence’.
“Understand your weakness, and work on empowering that. If you focus on your strengths, you can overcome your weakness, thereby empowering yourselves,” she advised.
She urged the students to inculcate a strong sense of justice and to respond when faced with situation involving violence instead of being mute spectators and took “I will be a safe space maker” pledge with the participants.
The other resource speaker of the event, Dr. Ellen Konyak Jamir, stated that the United Nations’ position on violence against women, which is ‘a manifestation of historically unequal power relations between men and women’, and ‘is one of the crucial social mechanisms by which women are forced into a subordinate position compared with men.’ Jamir, who has extensively with cases of domestic violence and other forms of abuse in the Naga context, pointed out that many such cases in Nagaland are underreported due to societal, cultural pressure, social stigma, defunct law enforcing agencies, among many other factors.
In order to create safe spaces, diagnosing the root and systemic causes of violence should be the approach, she asserted, adding that nurturing and working towards maintaining good relationship within the family unit should be the first step. She also encouraged the students to challenge issues related to gender-based violence by educating and learning from one another as well as create awareness and mobilise communities through social media by raising their voices for the voiceless and suppressed.
Moderator of the panel discussion Dr. S Elika Assumi, Dean of School of Social Sciences and PG Studies, Tetso College, highlighted ‘the purpose of the session and questioned whether the sense of safety was equal for both men and women’ before the discourse commenced.
While the issue of violence against women has been mostly viewed from legal aspects, the emotional perspective often gets sidelined, Assumi maintained, and sought to discuss the underlying reasons and problems giving rise to domestic violence and sexual harassment.
After the panel discussion, a Slam Poetry competition on the UN’s theme “Orange The World: Generation Equality Stands Against Rape” was held. Yavisa Katerina Sekhose of MA English 1st semester was declared winner while Sungjemlila Longkumer of BA 2nd semester won second prize.
