KOHIMA, March 7: The National Commission for Women in collaboration with the Nagaland State Commission for Women (NSCW) will organise district-wise ‘Mahila Jan Sunwai’ (public hearings) across the state from March 9 to 13.
Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, NSCW chairperson W Nginyeih Konyak said that public hearings aim to provide women with a direct platform to raise grievances and seek institutional support.
The week-long initiative aims to strengthen access to justice for women by allowing them to voice complaints related to domestic violence, workplace harassment, maternity benefits, abandonment, trafficking and other forms of gender-based injustice, she said.
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The hearings are part of a nationwide outreach programme intended to ensure quicker grievance redressal and greater awareness of women’s rights, she said.
Konyak said that during the public hearings, dedicated benches comprising members of the Nagaland State Commission for Women, district administration officials, representatives from the District Legal Services Authority, police authorities, legal experts and protection officers will be present.
“They will provide immediate hearing of complaints, legal guidance, registration of cases where necessary and time-bound follow-up mechanisms,” she asserted.
The NSCW chairperson also said that walk-in complaints will also be accepted during the hearings, enabling women to directly approach the panel without prior registration.
She said the initiative seeks to bridge institutional gaps by bringing grievance redressal mechanisms directly to districts, especially benefiting women in rural areas who often face difficulties accessing legal and administrative support.
The programme will be held at the DC Conference Halls of the 12 districts, beginning Monday in Tuensang, Zunheboto, Tseminyu and Wokha districts; followed by Mokokchung and Niuland on March 10; Chumoukedima on March 11; Longleng and Peren on March 12 and Mon, Kohima and Dimapur on March 13.
The initiative, organised as part of the observance of International Women’s Day, aims to move beyond symbolic celebrations and focus on practical measures to strengthen women’s safety, dignity and access to justice, she asserted.
The other five districts would also have the Jan Sunwai, but on later dates, the NSCW chairperson added. (PTI)
