41 years struggle for gender equality in Mizoram

AIZAWL: Mizoram's apex women body, Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl (MHIP), today completed 41 years of its struggle for gender equality in a strict patriarchal society.

"Our struggle for gender equality in the male-dominated Mizo society during the last 41 years has witnessed significant achievements. However, we still have many miles to go to achieve our ultimate goal," said former MHIP president B. Sangkhumi, who is also former chairperson of Mizoram Public Service Commission.

"We have witnessed significant changes in the government, the Church and the society," she pointed out.

Thanks to the women's campaign, the Mizoram Baptist Church has agreed to ordain women as pastor about three years back.

Although the Mizoram Presbyterian Church, the largest Christian denomination in the state, is yet to okay woman ordination, a significant number of women have been included in its high committees and as Sunday School teachers. "A number of churches have now allowed women to preach in the church," Sangkhumi said.

The Mizoram legislative assembly has also made some landmark decisions such as the Mizo Marriage Divorce and Inheritance of Property Act, 2014, that liberated women from the harsh male-friendly Mizo customary laws.

The Act, passed in the state assembly last December, was a major milestone in the history of Mizoram, and was the result of concerted efforts of the women wings of different political parties and a number of highly learnt Mizo women," Sangkhumi said.

"Under the Mizo customary laws, when a man divorces his wife the latter leaves the house without virtually anything even if she had contributed a lot to the family's assets. All this will be abolished with the new Mizo Divorce Law," she said.

The MHIP had been working hard to have the Act passed by the state assembly.

There has also been a general awareness in the Mizo society, known for its male chauvinism, in the protection of women rights.

The MHIP, established on June 6, 1974, has declared women empowerment as its year theme since 1997, though women empowerment and protection of women rights were two of its basic objectives.

"During these years, we have organised seminars and workshops on women empowerment. No doubt we have made some achievements, there are a lot of tasks ahead," she said.

The women's efforts to change the Mizo customary law to make it more favourable for women have also not seen much success.

"People coming from outside Mizoram are surprised to see the local markets are dominated by women. However, even though women are the major workforce in a family, the real authority over any family's economy lies with the head of the family which is male," Sangkhumi lamented.

In the field of politics also, women representation in the state assembly is still minimal, with only a single woman legislator in the 40-member assembly.

Vanlalawmpuii Chhawngthu was elected from Hrangturzo assembly bye-election in April last year to become the first woman MLA after 27 years.

Lalhlimpuii, who was made a minister in the Laldenga ministry in 1987-1988, was the only woman minister so far.

Thirty-percent seat reservation in local bodies – Aizawl Municipal Council and village councils – are another achievement for womenfolk that the present Congress government had made.

The MHIP Day, which is a state government holiday, was observed across the state today.