Chizokho Vero
Kohima | August 6
In a significant development, women inmates of District Jail, Kohima, is all set to try their hands on sewing machines as the state’s department of women development has launched a vocational training centre today in the jail premises. With this package, the women inmates are expected to gain much from tailoring. The department has provided 10 Sewing machines for this purpose.
Inaugurating the centre, parliamentary secretary for Tourism & Women Development Kaito Ayeh was optimistic that the newly created centre will largely benefit the women inmates. “Traditionally women play very important roles - they creates life, nurtures it and moulds them up to live as human. They are regarded as most respected ones but unfortunately they are not taken care of properly. It is sad to note that when a woman is jailed not only her but her entire family and siblings are affected... too.”
He said that women prisoners’ needs are also different from male inmates. Their physical, bodily needs and psychological balance by separating them from their children requires to be well understood by the jail authority and give them special attention.
“Custodial safety and gender justice of our women prisoners is one of the important concerns of the government to transform this theory to a practical one,” he said adding that to look after their affairs not only during their stay in jails but to enable them to stand on their own feet when freed from jails, NGOs and voluntary organizations have great roles to play in building up their social status and in economic field.
He also stated the state government will see that men jails inmates were also taken care of. “We are all concerned for you. The government will take care of you,” he said and at the same time challenged them not to forget to change for better. Realizing the special attention of women needs, the Parliamentary Secretary reiterated that the present government created the department of women development by bifurcating the erstwhile department of social security and welfare in 2003.
“This was done in order to uplift the welfare of women who are depressed and denied their rights to live as human in the society and to develop them in the field of economic, education, health, social, legal and even to enable them to participate in the political field,” Ayeh said.
The government has also created Nagaland State Commission for Women consisting of experts to look after the affairs of those women and to safeguard them from exploitations.
Earlier, Aonochet Ao, IPS, Director General of Police (Prisons) expressed the hope that the Centre will provide good ray of hope for future.
Sano Vamuzo, chairperson Nagaland State Commission for Women asserted that the vocational package has opened a way for women inmates to engage in tailoring, which, she said would boost the income generation. She also challenged them to try their hands at the provided facility and discover their talents.
R.Haralu, DIG (Prisons) stated that the Centre has come as a positive change, adding that it has fulfilled the long felt desired of the district jail. Appreciating the department for opening the Centre, he assured that the jail authority will put the package into proper use and enable the women inmates to gain maximum benefit from it.
