An awareness programme on gender based violence was held today at Cultural Hall, Pungro Town.
It was organised by Sakhi One Stop Centre, Kiphire in collaboration with Yimkhiung Liberü Arihako (YLA) and Childline 1098 Kiphire.
During the programme, Rolila S Sangtam, the centre administrator of Sakhi One Stop Centre Kiphire, gave a talk on gender based violence.
She said Sakhi was introduced in Kiphire district in 2019 with the objective to render services of support to women who have faced discrimination of any type.
Sakhi comes under the umbrella of the Department of Social Welfare.
Rolila highlighted the genesis of how Sakhi came into being in the year 2012 after the tragic Delhi gangrape. This triggered the Government of India to take cognisance of violence against women. Today the Sakhi centres can be found across all parts of the country in all districts to provide support to women.
Rolila informed that the word ‘Sakhi’ has been derived from the Sanskrit word meaning ‘women’s friend/women company’. It is a one-stop centre as Sakhi in collaboration with the medical, police and legal authorities stands to support discriminated women.
Rolila further stated that Sakhi service is open 24×7 and therefore, if any women is facing any form of abuse or discrimination, she can contact the Sakhi One Stop Centre which has provisions for an emergency response team to take immediate action.
The centre also provides counselling to those women, both young and old, who are in need of emotional and physiological support, the centre administrator informed.
The centre is dedicated to guide any victim who is illiterate to file an FIR and Sakhi will guide her in her legal aid accordingly, Rolila said, adding that the centre also provides shelter facilities, with food and lodging arranged, to those women in need.
Both short- and long-term shelter facilities are available according to the scale of the case, Rolila stated.
Participant and organisers of the awareness programme.
Levi T Awomi, district coordinator of Childline Kiphire, stated that the Childline office in Kiphire is there to provide services to children, both male or female, below 18 years of age. Childline acts as a rescue and shelter team where if any child gets lost or is being abused or misled by other companions or individuals, the team will help the family in finding and guiding the said problems.
Nagaland has seen a huge spike in domestic child labourers who are taken to towns and cities by either known or unknown relatives or friends in promise of better education and shelter, Awomi said. But in reality, he pointed out, many children get abused by the owner and are treated as inferior to the owner’s own child, having to shoulder most household work. According to Awomi, these are some of the injustices faced by children and Childline works to support children in such circumstances.
The other speakers at the awareness program included Tsosing, councellor of Sakhi One Stop Centre Kiphire, who gave a talk on legal rights for women, and Lintila, YLA Vice President.
A group discussion followed the speeches in the programme.
