New Delhi, 5 October 2015: Women leaders of Northeast India met last month in Delhi at an international conference titled “South Asian Women’s Peace and Security Conference: Formulating National Action Plans & the Way Forward”, that was held on 21 and 22 September 2015 at India International Centre, New Delhi.
The Conference was inaugurated by Shri Kiren Rijiju, Honourable Union Minister of State for Home Affairs and attended by Ms Teresita C Daza, Ambassador of the Philippines; Mr. Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury, Deputy High Commissioner, Bangladesh; Mr Cesare Onestini, Deputy Head of the European Union Delegation to India and representatives from UN Women, Pakistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Nepal.
Women leaders across the eight states of Northeast India namely Ms Binalakshmi Nepram, Founder, Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network and Secretary General, Control Arms Foundation of India; Dr. Rosemary Dzuvichu, Associate Professor, Nagaland University, Nagaland; Prof. Lalneihzovi, Mizoram University, Mizoram; Ms Pratibha Brahma, Member of North East Research & Social Work Networking, Bodoland, Assam; Ms. Agnes Kharshiing, President, Civil Society Women’s Organization, Meghalaya; Ms Rose Mangshi, President of Kuki Women Union, Manipur and Ms S Momon, Meira Paibi Leader, Manipur.
The meeting called upon the following appeal and resolved with a draft National Action Plan on Women Peace and Security of India. Some salient points are:
- Call upon the Government of India for the formulation of National Action Plans on Women, Peace, and Security.
- Honor India’s international commitment to Convention on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR) 1325, 1820, 1888, 1889, 1960, 2106 and 2122 and to enact legislation for the same.
- Inclusion of more women in electoral processes, judiciary, police forces, economic decision making and other decision making processes for a more gender balanced equitable society
- Appeal to all ethnic groups, communities in to rise above the greater common goal of peace and prosperity for all. Women across ethnic, community, religion, state lines to unite to work together to make this possible.
- Adequate protection for women human right defenders
- Recognition of women role in peace processes and ensuring the participation of women as decision makers in peace negotiations and present and post conflict reconstructions by both the Central and State Governments.
- To work towards empowering women survivors of any form of violence with emphasis on economic justice and rights.
A memorandum on the issue of women, peace and security in India and urging for a National Action Plan was submitted to Union Minister of state for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju.
Besides this conference, an exhibition was also organised by Control Arms Foundation of India along with E’thaan Design Studio and Rangsutra under the title “Ima Keithel ~ A Northeast India Women Mothers Bazaar of Bamboo Craft and Weaving” from 21 to 25 September at Gandhi King Plaza, India International Centre, New Delhi, where women survivors of Northeast India and Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh showcased beautiful handloom and handicraft products. The exhibition was inaugurated by Ms Marina Walter, Deputy Country Director, United Nations Development Program, India and Ms Namita Gautam, Director, Sleepwell Foundation.
In this unique exhibition which was one of the first of its kinds in India, women weavers from different ethnic groups in Manipur worked together for almost a year with top notch committed team from Delhi namely E’thaan Design Studio and Rangsutra to present a range of design prototypes in weaving and bamboo.
For more information, please contact:
Office of the Control Arms Foundation of India
B 5 / 146, First Floor, Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi – 110 029, India,
Website: www.cafi-online.org, Phone: +91-11-46018541, Fax: +91-11-26166234
