The Pfutsero Town Business Association (PTBA) through its Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), in collaboration with the Pfutsero Town Mothers’ Association (PTMA), successfully organised a seminar on the theme “Together for Women’s Safety and Dignity” at Pioneer Complex, CBCC, Pfutsero.
The programme was chaired by Kivi Venuh Sakhrie, Finance Secretary, PTBA. The invocation was offered by Wete-u Wetsah, Advisor, PTMA, while Vitale-u Leah Curhah, Chairperson of PTBA Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), delivered the welcome address, highlighting that the ICC, constituted on April 1, 2025, aims to promote a safe, respectful and dignified workplace. Greetings were delivered by Viekope-u Kenye, President, PTMA, who stressed that protecting women is a shared responsibility of families and society.
The first resource person, Dr Pritpal Kaur Batra, IPS, Superintendent of Police, Phek, spoke on “Women’s Safety, Cyber Awareness and the Role of Society in Creating Safe Spaces.” Sharing her personal journey, she encouraged women to empower one another and emphasised that every woman deserves dignity, equal opportunity and safety.
She highlighted the growing threat of cyber crimes in Nagaland, cautioning the public against clicking unknown links, sharing OTPs, personal information and photographs online. She explained various forms of cyber crimes including cyber stalking, image morphing, deepfakes, fake dating websites, social media trolling, doxxing and online fraud, while also explaining the legal provisions and punishments available for such offences.
Dr Batra stressed the importance of maintaining the trust of parents and families, strengthening moral values and faith in God, and fostering closer coordination among the Police, Churches, NGOs, educational institutions and civil society. She also urged parents to remain actively involved in their children’s lives and cautioned against over sharing personal activities on social media. Concluding her address, she called upon everyone to work together towards making Phek District a women crime-free district.
The second resource person, Sekhotso Rokha, Advocate and Retainer Lawyer, Phek District Legal Services Authority (PDLSA), spoke on “Women’s Legal Rights, Workplace Dignity and the Role of Internal Complaints Committee (ICC).” He explained various legal rights and protections available to women, including laws relating to domestic violence, sexual harassment, equal remuneration, maintenance, dowry prohibition, maternity benefits, free legal aid, property rights and the role of Internal Complaints Committees in ensuring safe workplaces.
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He observed that many family disputes and domestic violence cases are linked to alcohol abuse and reminded participants that perpetrators are not always strangers, making awareness within families equally important. He further urged parents, churches and community leaders not to permit child marriages, warning that marriages involving girls below 18 years of age are illegal and may invite legal consequences. He also advised young people, especially those seeking employment outside the state, to remain vigilant and aware of their legal rights.
An interactive question-and-answer session followed, allowing participants to engage directly with the resource persons on issues relating to women’s safety, cyber crime and legal protection.
Delivering the vote of thanks, Vekusu Chuzho, President, PTBA, expressed gratitude to the resource persons, PTMA, participating institutions, churches, educational institutions, civil society organisations and all attendees for their support in making the programme a success. Following the closing prayer by Punesalu Chuzho, PTMA Advisor.
The seminar reaffirmed PTBA’s commitment to promoting women’s safety, legal awareness, workplace dignity and stronger collaboration among government agencies, churches, educational institutions, NGOs and the community in building a safer and more respectful society.
