The
Department of English, Fazl Ali College,
Mokokchung organised the ‘Lit-Colloquium’ Series 2 on the topic ‘Silent Screams: Gender Issues in Naga Society’ with Mr. Sentilong
Ozukum (SDO, Civil) as the Guest Speaker at the College conference hall on 20th
November, 2021. The Speaker raised some common ‘Issues on Gender’ prevalent in
Naga society and discussed them by drawing instances from real life incidences.
The issues concerned ‘Question of Identity’ where the identity of a daughter is
not fixed, and he questioned dual identity of a woman, identity by birth, and
identity by marriage and it’s ramifications. Another issue was the ‘Inheritance
of Property’ in Naga society on which Mr. Ozukum reiterated on how there should
be a clear distinction between inherited and acquired property. ‘Domestic
violence’ was another issue that was stressed and the importance of sensitizing
and educating people on this matter and to come out of the social stigma posed
by the society. The issue on ‘Gender
Inequality’ was also raised where he encouraged the representation of women in
decision making bodies asserting that man cannot make decisions for women.
‘Customary Law’ was another issue of concern which was emphasized up on. A law
which has not been codified and which is not woman-friendly needs to be
re-interpreted and changed since culture is dynamic, he reiterated. Some other
gender issues discussed were, ‘Gender Gap in Pay’, ‘Stereotyping’, ‘Sexual
Exploitation’, ‘Discrimination in Employment Opportunities’, and ‘Lack of
Economic Empowerment’. The programme ended with an interactive disquisition on
the different issues.
The programme was led
by Ms. Imolemla of BA 5th Semester. A note of thanks was spoken by
Ms. Bendangsenla Asst. Professor, Dept. of English. Along with the faculty, more
than fifty students attended the Programme.