Women Commission asks Nagaland govt to implement Municipal Act

The National Women Commission (NWC) today asked the Government of Nagaland to implement the Nagaland Municipal Act, which provides 33 per cent of urban elected seats to be reserved for women.
"Times have changed and women must be given an opportunity to participate in decision making process of elected governments at various level... This will bring in true emancipation of women in the state," NCW Chairperson Mamta Sharma said while addressing an interactive session on customary laws of Nagaland here today.
She also suggested that the state government should hold elections with 33 per cent reservations regardless of the outcome of the Supreme Court judgement, which is fixed for August 5, 2014 because Nagaland needs to internalise the process of emancipation of women without judicial intervention.

Maintaining that she has great respect for the uniqueness of Naga people and their customary legacy, the NCW chairperson however felt that in certain areas relating to women, the people's thinking was changing all over the world and in keeping with the trends, it is time that Naga women too are given their place.
The NCW Chairperson was accompanied by members Laldingliani Sailo and Nirmala Samant Prabhavalkar.
"The process of dialogue with men, the custodians of Naga customary laws has only just started, and there will be hurdles because these laws differ from tribe to tribe and are in some cases even contradictory in nature, when it comes to vital questions regarding the woman's position and rights," Chairperson Nagaland State Commission for Women Temsula Ao said.

She also asserted that the state commission will continue with its efforts to prepare the ground where Naga men and women will be able to sit down with open minds and chart out the future of their daughters, wives and mothers so that the natural justice denied to Naga women over the ages will be restored through favourable amendments to the customary laws of their respective tribes.