Angamimiapfü Mechü Krotho (AMK), the apex body of Angami women on Monday, while appreciating leaders of the state government for incorporating the provision of reserved elected seats for women in Nagaland Municipal Act, extended its solidarity with various Naga women bodies in voicing out their concern for early implementation of the Act to pave way for women to have greater participation in the building up of the society. A joint press release issued by AMK president Salhoutuonuo Kruse and general secretary Avonuo Theünuo expressed concern that although the state government had promulgated one-third reservation of all elected seats for women in municipal and town councils of Nagaland by amending the Nagaland Municipal Act 2001 in 2006, the Act has not yet been implemented. Putting across its views and concerns regarding the impending women’s reservation issue, AMK maintained that women could play tremendous role in a “nation’s destiny” by becoming active participants in public matters. The organization pointed out that half of the countries of the world today, including most advanced nations, were using electoral quota for women in their parliaments for seats ranging upto 50%. It also cited the Article 181 of the 4th World Conference on Women, Beijing, 1995- “achieving the goal of equal participation of women and men in decision making will provide a balance that more accurately reflects the composition of society and is needed in order to strengthen democracy and promote its proper functioning. Without the active participation of women and the incorporation of women’s perspectives at all levels of decision making, the goal of equality, development and peace cannot be achieved.” AMK opined that under the given social context of Nagaland, non-implementation of the reservation quota would prove “very difficult” for any woman candidate to find place in government bodies including the municipal and town councils, to speak as a woman member and address issues that directly affect women. It asserted that women represented half of the population of the state and therefore, had the right to half of the seats. “Reservation is an internationally accepted measure adopted for the uplift and progress of the marginalized section of Society,” the statement said. Pointing that though the Constitution of India guarantees all citizens equality before law and that there shall be no discrimination against any citizen on ground of sex, AMK lamented that in reality, this guaranteed protection by law was not found in many aspects of life and women continue to be a marginalized section in a male dominated society.
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