EKHON | UKHRUL: As a part of the campaign under SANKALP: HEW on Women-centric themes under the Ministry of Women and Child Development to ensure that the women at the grassroot level are made aware of the wide range of services they are entitled to, a one-day seminar on “Women-centric Legislations” was organized on 2nd August, 2024 at DRDA Hall, Mini-Secretariat.
The Judicial Magistrate First Class P.A Phungreisung who attended the event as the key resource person deliberated on women empowerment and its rights. He gave an overview of how rules of law came into being through the introduction of Magna Carta that changed the world into a new era where laws were enforced for equal rights of all.
According to him, the rights were basically categorized into six namely, Natural rights, Fundamental rights, Constitutional rights, Legal rights, Human rights and customary rights in order have a meaningful life. Dwelling on the rights of women, Phungreisung stated that women empowerment is to give equal platform in politics, socially, economically and educationally for her sustainability and to progress our society. He informed that the Indian Government has passed 33 legislation acts that were confined only for women protection. The 106 amendment reserves 30% women in Parliament and in state assembly seats.
Phungreisung further mentioned that National Commission for women is a watch dog to implement the rights of women and through this body the issues of women can be address. Talking about the growing cases of sexual harassment in Ukhrul, the Judicial Magistrate expressed his shock at the growing POCSO cases in Ukhrul and the need for women to be aware of such rights.
Meanwhile, Chingri Vashum Legal Researcher stressed on the women’s Centric policies and programme of the government. Under these policies, the constitution along with legislations such as the Equal Remuneration Act of 1975 the Maternity Benefit Act of 1961 and the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act of 2013 guarantees these rights to women, she highlighted.
She mentioned some of the implemented programs to help women, such as the Women Helpline (WHL) Scheme, which provides emergency and non-emergency assistance to women affected by violence. She also shared the government benefit schemes and programs such as the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP), and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) for empowering women and promotes sustainable practices.
The event was attended by over 150 women attended including Anganwadi workers, helpers, college students including the leaders of Tangkhul women organisation and women police personnel.
The special awareness was organized by District Administration of Ukhrul in collaboration with Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), District Hub for Empowerment of Women (DHEW) District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) and One Stop Centre (OSC).
A 100-days special awareness campaigns under SANKALP: HEW is being carried out all over India from 21st June, 2024, and this will continue till 4th October, 2024. SANKALP (Supportive Action for Nurturing and Knowledge-Based Advancement, Last-Mile Delivery and Potential Realisation of Women): HEW (Hub for Empowerment of Women) is an initiative of the MWCD under Mission Shakti. It is framed to “serve as a vehicle to bridge the information and knowledge gap regarding schemes and facilities available for women as well as guide them to avail the benefits and entitlements.” It is also mandated to serve as the Project Monitoring Unit (PMU) for all the components under Mission Shakti, and it works in convergence with Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme.
