Nagaland State Commission for Women member Kekhrienuo Meyase says stigma and fear lead to underreporting of crimes against women in Nagaland.
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DIMAPUR — Crimes against women in Nagaland often go unreported due to stigma, fear and societal judgement, creating the perception that the state is among the safest in the country, Nagaland State Commission for Women (NSCW) member Kekhrienuo Meyase said on Wednesday.
Speaking during the “Mahila Jan Sunwai” (public hearing) organised by the NSCW in collaboration with the Chümoukedima district administration, District Hub for Empowerment of Women (DHEW) and the Department of Social Welfare at the Deputy Commissioner’s conference hall in Chümoukedima, Meyase said societal expectations and the fear of shame discourage many women from reporting abuse.
She said that while public safety in the state may be good, underreporting of crimes also paints an incomplete picture.
Meyase said domestic violence and cybercrime were among the major concerns raised during the hearing, particularly among young girls and students. She said most of the cases received during the programme in Chümoukedima were related to domestic violence and cybercrime.
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“Crimes are happening behind closed doors in Nagaland and underreporting due to fear, stigma and family honour is a big issue,” she said, adding that breaking the taboo surrounding such issues is essential for victims to seek justice.
Encouraging women to come forward, Meyase said support services such as counselling, legal consultation and advocacy are available through institutions including the Sakhi One Stop Centre, Shakti Sadan, Sakhi Niwas and the District Legal Services Authority. She urged women to reach out to these services, noting that assistance is free and confidential.
Highlighting the purpose of the public hearings, she said the initiative seeks to address issues such as domestic violence and workplace sexual harassment while also creating awareness about legal provisions, including the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act.
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She said empowering grassroots women with legal knowledge is key to ensuring justice, adding that awareness programmes in schools, colleges and communities across the state are necessary for prevention and redressal of such issues.
Meyase also raised concern over online harassment faced by women, particularly those working in the media. She said women journalists often face body shaming and objectification online, with comments focusing on their appearance rather than the issues they report on.
“Cybercrime affects everyone, even women in public roles. Unsolicited comments on social media can be harassment,” she said, adding that awareness about online safety and legal consequences is necessary.
She also emphasised the need to educate men, especially at the grassroots level, about women’s rights and legal provisions. Many men, she said, may not be aware that their actions can have legal consequences, which can contribute to incidents such as domestic violence.
Meyase said the POSH Act covers both physical and verbal harassment and noted that even witnesses may be held accountable if they fail to report such incidents.
She also highlighted that economic harassment, such as failure to provide maintenance, and verbal harassment, including vulgar jokes at workplaces, are serious issues that often go unaddressed when such behaviour becomes normalised.
The NSCW member said the Mahila Jan Sunwai is conducted in public spaces to make justice accessible to women, particularly those at the grassroots level. She suggested that collaboration with village council chairmen, Village Development Boards, self-help groups and rural livelihood missions could help spread awareness about women’s rights and government support systems.
She noted that Nagaland is undergoing a transition from traditional to modern values, which can make balancing cultural heritage and contemporary lifestyles complex. The public hearing, she said, serves as a platform to inform women about government facilities available to them and ensure that they are not discriminated against.
Meyase also cautioned against taking the law into one’s own hands, saying cases should be handled through legal processes. Public shaming or punishment outside the legal system, she said, could worsen the situation.
She further said many women in villages and interior districts are unaware that 25% of Village Development Board (VDB) funds are reserved for women. While she said she was not in a position to comment on whether women were receiving the funds they are entitled to, she noted that government and local bodies have their own rules governing allocation of the grant for women-specific schemes.
However, she emphasised that greater awareness about such provisions is necessary so that women can benefit from them.