BOMDILA, 9 Mar: International Women’s Day (IWD) was celebrated with pomp and gaiety here in West Kameng district by the UD & housing department’s area level federation on Monday.
Speaking of the occasion, ICDS Deputy Director Lian Moyee said, “Women have now conquered every profession, from sky to sea, becoming an astronaut to naval official. Women, apart from household chores, are now working in the society as doctors, engineers and many more.”
Advocate Kamla Deewan said, “Women are physically mild, but not mentally. We have both potentiality and patience to do anything for poor family and society.”
UD & Housing EE Takar Tachang also spoke.
The Longding KVK celebrated the day at Luaksim village in Kanubari circle. The programme was attended by 65 SHG members, along with KVK staff and children.
KVK Head Dr A Kirankumar Singh spoke on the importance of the day and the role played by women for the development of the agriculture sector.
Luaksim GPC Phetick Nokwoham urged fellow women to work together to become leaders and entrepreneurs in agriculture.
Daughters of God, a newly founded group of Christian women, celebrated its first ever International Women’s Day at a city hotel in Naharlagun on 8 March.
Addressing the gathering, evangelist Tai Miyer Angu, the founder of Daughters of God, spoke on women empowerment and helping orphan girls, widows and old women. She urged the gathering to guide divorced women and offer counselling to victims of polygamy.
TRIHMS radiation oncologist Adisi Kri spoke on women-related cancers, and urged the gathering to take proper care of their health to avoid cancer.
The NABARD’s regional office in Itanagar celebrated IWD, involving SHG members, NGOs and women entrepreneurs.
NABARD General Manager Dr Gopa Kumaran Nair highlighted the success of the SHG-bank linkage programme, pioneered by NABARD since 1992, which has changed the socioeconomic scenario of women and the marginalized in the country.
Dr Nair said that women in Arunachal are better off than their counterparts elsewhere in the country in terms of greater equality, better employment opportunities and status in the society. He also highlighted the importance being given by the NABARD to tackle gender issues by empowering women.
UD Secretary Mitali Namchoom and Naharlagun SBI Lead District Manager Ranjit Singh also attended the celebration.
In East Siang HQ Pasighat, retired principal Bormoti Dai, retired joint director Rongili Mibang, and Agriculture DD Yanung Jamoh Lego were felicitated on the occasion of IWD.
The ABK women’s wing (East Siang unit) and NGO Women Against Social Evils were also felicitated.
The IWD celebration was organized by the women & child development department in collaboration with the one-stop centre and the district legal services authority.
Deputy Commissioner Dr Kinny Singh lauded the achievers for their immense contributions to the society, and said that “women are born leaders and managers, and have immense capacity to excel in any field.”
Chief Councillor Okiam Moyong Borang stressed on creating awareness on various central and state government schemes and programmes for girl children and women, and Sessions Judge Budi Habung urged all to create awareness, particularly in the rural areas, on the various provisions/acts like the POCSO and compulsory registration of marriage.
ICDS DD Machi Gao highlighted the significance of the IWD in promoting social, cultural, economic and political participation of women in the society.
The day was also celebrated in a befitting manner at the block mission manager unit by SHGs headed by Junmen Longri.
Pasighat ADC Tatdo Borang and SDO (Sadar) Oli Perme delivered lectures on women empowerment. The DC also joined the celebration and shared her views.
In East Kameng district, a confederation of self-help groups (SHG) and primary level federations (PLF) celebrated IWD in Seppa.
Addressing the gathering, Deputy Commissioner Pravimal Abhishek Polumatla commended the SHG members from Seppa and Bana blocks for being role models in piloting nutritional kitchen gardens and cluster farming across the state.
He stressed the need to encourage and include participation of women in building a vibrant society. The DC also emphasized on the severity of malnutrition in the district and apprised all the members present to include the matter in the village poverty reduction plan (VPRP) and the gram panchayat development plan (GPDP).
He also asked the SHGs to work on solid/liquid waste management in the district.
“If required, I will also send a team of SHG members for exposure to best-practicing states like Pondicherry and Ambikapur,” he added.
The DC also stressed on rainwater harvesting, self-employment, intensifying the SHG-bank linkages and credit linkages, especially with the SBI branches.
He also assured to take up the three-point memorandum submitted by the consortium of PLFs, to allocate retail outlets in the town for SHGs’ products, establishment of a community training centre for skill development and other training, and to ensure integration of the VPRP with the GPDP.
Hundreds of SHG members participated in the celebration, which was facilitated by the Arunachal State Rural Livelihoods Mission.
In Tirap district, the IWD celebration was observed in Khonsa under the banner of the Women’s Welfare Association. It saw the participation of women from various villages of the district.
On the occasion, female frontline workers who contributed during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, such as nurses, constables and sanitization workers of Tirap district were felicitated.
ZPC Chathong Lowang stressed on availing the benefits of the welfare schemes being taken up by the state and central governments.
ADTH Chanyok Rajkumari and educationist Monalisha Hondique spoke on various issues and empowerment of women in general.
The Khonsa SBI also celebrated IWD, during which it issued loan sanction letters of Rs 1.07 lakhs each to the members of three SHGs.
CO Ripi Doni felicitated the female staff members of the bank.
In Deomali, the IWD celebration was organized by the Women’s Association of Deomali, in collaboration with the women’s cell of Wangcha Rajkumar Government College (WRGC), under the guidance of Chango Lowang.
Lowang spoke on the importance of celebrating Women’s Day and appealed to women to be aware of their rights.
WRGC Assistant Professor Biri Amji gave a special talk on domestic violence, while Assistant Professor Dr Mudang Rina spoke on women’s health and hygiene and the various government schemes for the girl child.
IWD was also celebrated in Soha by the women of Soha circle. (With DIPRO inputs)
