Dimapur, July 28 (EMN): Two-day intensive workshop on ‘Violence Against Women & Children’ was organised by the Deputy Commissioner’s office, Wokha in collaboration with State Resource Centre for Women (SRCW) and the Nagaland State Social Welfare Board (NSSWB) on July 26 and 27, at the District Planning Conference Hall on day one and Deputy Commissioner Office on day two.
The first day session was attended various civil bodies like Lotha Eloi Hoho, Lotha Students’ Union, GBs and Dobashis, colony chairmen and pastors from different Churches in Wokha town and Police personnel.
Delivering keynote address, chairperson of NSSWB, Bano Vinito, exhorted stakeholders on the need to come together and stand for violence against women. She encouraged each organisation and individual to step forward and fight this social problem.
Deliberating on way forward, the participants shared that they would put effort to conduct more awareness at the grassroots and spreading the message through Church and community institutions.
Resource persons for the workshops were Gracy Ayee, state coordinator of SRCW; district coordinator of SRCW, Ajabu Tungoe; Women Helpline manager, Lanuienla Imchen; and call responder of 181, Jitsiasa Nyusou.
The topics presented by resource persons included types of violence against women and children, Awareness on various schemes and programme with special emphasis on 181-Women Helpline and Sakhi-One Stop Centre, legal entitlements and psycho social support for victims of gender based violence. IEC materials and documentaries were also distributed.
A consultative cum sensitisation programme for the Police Department was convened on the second day. GBs and Dobashis also attended the programme.
Bano Vinito in her opening remark, emphasised the need to strengthen convergence effort particularly police, legal cells, medical team and civil societies to come together and to end violence against women.
Officer in-charge, Benrio Shito and Phillip Yanthan, SDPO Wokha, gave statistical report of the crime rates against women in the district. In the past ten years, 65 cases had been registered at the Police Station Wokha, the report stated.
The police officials also shared their concern and challenges that a separate lock up is a dire need as there is no place to keep the accused women. With the increase in the rate of violence, the police further shared the need to have a full fledged Women Police station.
Additional Deputy Commissioner, Wokha, Thavaseelan, IAS, addressed the participants on both days. Stressing on the significance of such workshop, he thanked the participants for cooperating. We can collectively prevent and curb the situation to make Wokha a safer district, he added.
He said the District Administration is a committed to the cause and that efforts are being made to ensure that the grassroots are aware of the specific schemes and programmes for different target group, and that similar workshops would be conducted in the months ahead.
He sought for continued support of key stakeholders and organisations.
