Skip to content Skip to navigation

National Seminar: The Role of Women in Peace Processes

By AT News |

National Seminar: The Role of Women in Peace Processes


North Eastern Social Research Centre, Guwahati


November 2nd & 3rd, 2018


Venue: Jagriti 3rd floor, GMCH Road, Christian Basti, Guwahati (Next to St. John’s Hospital)


 



North Eastern Social Research Centre, Guwahati is organising a two-day National Seminar on “The Role of Women in Peace Processes.” The focus of the seminar is Northeast India but there will be a few presentations from the rest of the country.


 


Ms Teesta Setalvad, Secretary, Centre for Justice and Peace, Mumbai will give the keynote address. Prof. Ritu Dewan, former Director of the Department of Economics, Bombay University and former President, Indian Association of Women’s Studies will speak on the impact of the Kashmir Conflict on women. Neha Dixit, freelance journalist, New Delhi will speak on women and communal conflicts. Ms Amrita Gogoi of Dibrugarh University will speak on women’s role in the Nepal Maoist struggle. 


Speakers from the Northeast include Dr. Anjali Daimari of Barama College and President, Bodo Women’s Justice Forum, Dr. Monisha Behal of North East Network (NEN), Guwahati, Dr. N. Vijaylaxmi Brara of Manipur University, Dr. Veronica Pala of Economics Department, NEHU, Shillong and others. 


The seminar attempts to analyse conflicts and peace processes in Northeast India (NEI). According to official sources NEI records the highest number of ethnic conflicts in South Asia. Recurrent efforts have been made to open a space for dialogue between the State and the militant groups or between the communities in conflict. The dialogue between the State and the militants has mostly resulted in partial and temporary respite. They have failed to address the structural dimensions of the conflict and to involve people from all social intersections. That has turned the dialogue into a discussion moving more towards power sharing and ceasefire than a lasting solution. Genuine peace should ideally be seen as a new society based on justice, not merely as absence of armed conflict. Peace to be real cannot be limited to power sharing between the State and the Militants but should result in a new space that includes the civil society, particularly women in the process. Women are by and large excluded from the dialogue with the State because it is limited to the militant groups, both of which are dominated by men. 


While the official dialogue is mainly between men, the Northeast has many instances of women taking an active part in peace building as demonstrated, among others, by the Meira Paibis of Manipur through their protests near Kangla Fort against the Indian Army and State to revoke the draconian AFSPA in 2004. It is seen also in the social roots of the politics of Naga Mothers’ Association (NMA) derived from the role women played as ‘demi’ (mediators) in various Naga tribal traditions. One can add other traditions that entail a gender mainstreaming in conflict structures by recognising the positive agency of women that takes them beyond their cultural roles. 


This conference will probe into the dual themes of the impact of conflicts on women, their roles, forms of intervention and capacities and limitations in peace building. By sharing the local experiences and traditional knowledge of communities appropriated by women to organise peace strategies, the participants will look into the processes of conflicts and peace in which they get involved. Studies indicate that women suffer more in times of conflict but they are excluded from the peace processes. A better understanding of this situation can assist men to become allies in the ‘gender sensitive interventions’ for peace building. 


 


Dr Walter Fernandes
Senior Fellow and Seminar Coordinator


===


           National seminar on the Role of Women in Peace Processes


Organised by


North Eastern Social Research Centre (NESRC), Guwahati


 


Venue: Seminar Hall, Jagriti, 3rd floor                                                Date: 2nd and 3rd November, 2018


 

























































Day 1: Friday, 2nd November, 2018

9:30-10:00

Registration

 


 


 


10:00-10:05


10:05-10:10


10:10 – 10:40


 


10:40 -11:00

Inaugural Session


 


Chairperson: Dr. Rakhee Kalita Moral, Associate Professor, Cotton University


A Word of Welcome: Dr. Melvil Pereira, Director, NESRC


Introduction to the Seminar: Ms. Kusumika Ghosh, Research Associate, NESRC


Keynote Speaker: Ms. Teesta Setalvad, Human Rights Activist, CJP, Mumbai


Theme: Women, Conflicts and Peace: Do they only Suffer or Participate in the Process and Decisions?


Chairperson Speaks

11:00 – 11.15

Tea Break

11:15


–


13:00

Session I: Women’s Role in Conflicts & Peace


 


Chairperson: Ms Teesta Setalvad, Human Rights Activist, CJP, Mumbai


Themes and Speakers:


1.      

Negotiating the Peaceful Way: Female Guerrillas from the PW of Nepal


Ms. Amrita P. Gogoi, Assistant Professor, Political Science, Dibrugarh University.


2.      

Re-Framing the Gender Question in the Conflict-Peace Paradigm:


The Kashmir Context


Prof. Ritu Dewan, Former chairperson, IAWS (2014-17)


3.      

Impact of Communal Conflicts on Women and Their Role in Communal Peace.


Ms. Neha Dixit, Freelance journalist, New Delhi


13:00 – 14:00

Lunch Break

14:00


–


15:30

Session II: Nagaland and Sikkim


 


Chairperson: Dr. Samhita Barooah, Freelance Journalist & Independent Researcher


Themes and Speakers:


1.      

Women, the NMA and Peace Processes in Nagaland


Ms. Vizokhole Ltu, Research Associate, NESRC


2.      

The Customary Law and Women’s Struggles for Property and Political Rights


Dr. Sumi Daa-Dhora, HoD, English & Dr. Medonuo Pienyu, HoD, Sociology [St Joseph’s College, Jakhama, Nagaland]


3.      

Contextualising Conflicts and the Role of Women in Peace Processes in Sikkim: An Overview


Dr Garima Thakuria, Asst. Professor, Anthropology & Mr Shankar Narayan Bagh, Asst. Professor, Dept. of Sociology [Sikkim University]


15:30 – 15:45

Tea Break

15:45


 –


17:15

Session III: Manipur


 


Chairperson: Dr. Yengkhom Jilangamba, Chairperson, Centre for Peace & Conflict Studies, TISS, Guwahati


Themes and Speakers:


1.      

Meira Paibi: A Great legacy


Dr. N. Vijaylaxmi Brara, Associate Professor, Sociology, Manipur University


2.      

The Role of Women in the Kuki-Naga Conflict and Peace Process


Dr. S. Manikho Kohusii, Dept. of Sociology, Asst. Professor & Mr. Athili Hopeson Kayina, Asst. Professor, Dept. of Political Science, Japfii Christian College, Kigwema, Nagaland


3.      

Blockades and the Three Bills in Manipur:  Role of Women in the ILPS Demand and the Anti-Three Bill Campaign


Dr. Ruth Nengneilhing, University of Delhi & Dr. Hoineilhing Sitlhou, University of Hyderabad


 

Day 2: Saturday, 3rd November, 2018

09:30


 –


11:00

Session IV: Tripura & Mizoram


 


Chairperson: Dr. Polly Vauquline, HoD, Women’s Studies, Gauhati University


Themes and Speakers:


1.      

The Role of Women in the Bru-Mizo Conflict


Ms. Ratna Reang, PhD Scholar, Agartala


2.      

Women in Conflict and Peace in Tripura: A Review


Dr. Pankaj Chakraborty, Dean of Social Sciences, Holy Cross College, Agartala


3.      

The Role of Women in the Mizo Nationalist Struggle and in the Peace Process


Dr. Hminthangzuali Chhakchhuak, Department of History, Mizoram University

11:00 – 11:15

Tea Break

11:15


 –


12:45

 Session V: Assam


 


Chairperson: Dr. Pahi Saikia, Associate Professor, Political Science, Department of Humanities & Social Sciences, IIT, Guwahati


Themes and Speakers:


1.      

The Impact on Women of the BTAD Conflicts and their involvement in the peace process


Dr. Anjali Daimari, Founder & President, Bodo Women’s Justice Forum (India)


2.      

Women and Conflicts: A Study in Karbi Anglong District


Ms. Jyotikona Chetia, Research Associate, NESRC, &


Ms. Bhaswati Borgohain, PhD Scholar, Tezpur University


3.      

The Role of Women in the Assam Movement and its Aftermath


Dr. Monisha Behal, CEO, North East Network, Guwahati


 

12:45 – 13:45

Lunch

13:45


 –


15:15

Session VI: Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya


 


Chairperson: Prof. Kalyan Das, OKDISCD, Guwahati


Themes and Speakers:


1.      

Role of Khasi - Pnar Women as Community Builders and Peace Makers


Dr. Veronica Pala, Faculty, Dept. of Economics, NEHU, Shillong


2.      

The Chakma-Hajong Resettlement Controversy and its Impact on Women


Dr. Jumyir Basar, Faculty, Rajiv Gandhi University, Itanagar


3.      

The Role of Women through the Lens of the Print Media in the Nationalist Struggle and Peace Processes in Mizoram


Ms. L. V. Lalrintluangi & Dr. C. Zonunmowia; Asst. Professors, St Xavier’s College, Lengpui, Aizawl, Mizoram

15:15-15.30

Tea

 


 


 


15:30


–


17:00

Session VII: Valedictory Session


 


 Chairperson: Dr. Asha Kothari Choudhury, Associate Professor, Dept. of English, Gauhati University


 


1.      

Summary of the Seminar Discussion: Dr. Walter Fernandes, Senior Fellow, NESRC


2.      

Valedictory Address:  Ms. Parismita Singh, Freelance Writer, Guwahati    


3.      

Chairperson Speaks


4.      

Vote of Thanks: Dr. Meenal Tula, Senior Research Associate, NESRC
     


 

Author info

AT News's picture

Assam Times Staff. editor@assamtimes.org
  • 12859 reads

Add new comment

Other Contents by Author

Assam’s Move for OIL Stake Sparks Debate

Guwahati, Feb 28: The Assam government’s decision to seek a 5 per cent stake in Oil India Limited (OIL) has triggered discussion on the State’s long-term approach to the oil and gas sector in the Northeast. The proposal, under which Assam has sought a minority share in OIL — where the Government of India holds 56 per cent — will be examined by the Centre, Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that the State is extending full cooperation to oil sector companies and urged that shares be allocated to Assam to support smoother functioning and stronger coordination. Reacting to the development, Shantikam Hazarika — former Chairman of...

Citizen Flags Data, Nutrition Gaps in HPV Vaccination Drive

New Delhi, March 1: Concerns have been raised over the national HPV vaccination campaign launched on February 28, 2026, with a citizen questioning its scientific basis, operational preparedness, and public health prioritisation. In a public statement, Donthi N. Reddy said that not a single state has published baseline data on cervical cancer incidence or HPV prevalence prior to the rollout. Without such baseline indicators, he argued, outcomes cannot be measured, and without measurable outcomes, the reported annual expenditure of ₹1,300 crore cannot be properly evaluated. The campaign involves administration of the HPV vaccine Gardasil-4 to 14-year-old girls across the country, aiming...

NEADS Assam Participates in the 13th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development at UNESCAP

North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS), a grassroots civil society organisation based in Jorhat, Assam, participated in the 13th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD), convened by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) from 24–27 February, 2026, at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok. Tirtha Prasad Saikia, Director of NEADS, represented the organisation at the Forum. He also participated in his capacity as the Constituency Focal Point for People Affected by Conflicts and Disasters and as a Regional Coordinating Committee Member of the Asia Pacific Regional CSO Engagement Mechanism (APRCEM). During...

APCC Files ‘Chargesheet 2026’ Against BJP-Led Assam Government in ‘People’s Court’

The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Wednesday submitted a detailed “Chargesheet 2026” against the BJP-led Assam government, symbolically placing it before what it termed the “People’s Court of Assam.” The chargesheet targets the government headed by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, covering the period from May 10, 2021 to February 18, 2026. In a press briefing in Guwahati, APCC leaders alleged large-scale corruption, economic mismanagement, constitutional violations, and failure to protect the rights of indigenous communities. The document lists 20 major charges, including the alleged operation of a “syndicate raj,” accumulation of illegal wealth, rising public debt, and...

33 Dead in Meghalaya Illegal Mine Blast; Judicial Commission Formed

Shillong, February 16, 2026: The death toll in the devastating explosion at an illegal coal mine in East Jaintia Hills has risen to 33, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma confirmed on Monday during a suo-motu statement in the State Assembly. The tragedy occurred on the morning of February 5 in the remote Mynsngat-Thangsko area, where an illegal “rat-hole” coal mine reportedly exploded, allegedly due to the unauthorized use of explosives inside narrow underground tunnels. The incident has triggered widespread outrage and prompted the state government to constitute a high-level Judicial Commission of Inquiry.   Initial rescue operations carried out by the NDRF, SDRF and...

SIT “Flop Show” Explodes: Gogoi Takes On Himanta, Puts 2026 in Play

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president and MP Gaurav Gogoi on Sunday launched a sharp counter-offensive against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, calling the much-hyped SIT report a “super flop” and accusing the CM of staging six months of political drama to divert attention from land and corruption allegations. Addressing a packed press conference at Rajiv Bhawan, Gogoi said the Chief Minister had kept the SIT report for six months, only to unveil it through a “manufactured spectacle” involving national media, which ultimately failed to produce a single piece of evidence against him. “He swung a mace in the air, but there was nothing in his hands,” Gogoi said. Flanked by MPs...

Nazira Dairy Project Collapses Amid Allegations of Mismanagement, Livelihoods Hit

A multi-crore dairy project at Sanbasa in Nazira has collapsed amid serious allegations of financial irregularities and internal mismanagement, dealing a severe blow to rural livelihoods in the area. The Sundarpukhuri Dairy Cooperative Society, formed by local farmers under the initiative of Dr. Jagadish Barman, once served as a crucial source of income for over 245 Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. The cooperative reportedly contributed nearly ₹1 crore annually to the local rural economy. As part of its expansion, the cooperative launched its own marketing network under the brand name “Kareng” and set up a milk pasteurization plant at Sanbasa village. However, internal disputes...

Worse Than C-Grade Cinema’: Gogoi Attacks Assam CM

Guwahati: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president and Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi on Sunday launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over a recent press conference, dismissing it as “worse than a C-grade cinema” and accusing the Chief Minister of making baseless and sensational claims. The Chief Minister, however, maintained that the allegations involving Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh and Elizabeth Gogoi—wife of Gaurav Gogoi—were serious in nature and should not be treated lightly. Addressing the media, CM Sarma said the matter assumed greater significance as it involved a sitting Member of Parliament. “These are grave allegations. When a sitting MP, who...

Handique Girls’ College to Confer 3rd Rajabala Das National Award on Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty

Handique Girls’ College will confer the 3rd Rajabala Das National Award on noted author and senior journalist Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty, President of the Press Club of India, in recognition of her significant contributions to society and journalism. The award will be presented on March 8, 2026, at a special function to be held on the college campus. On the occasion, the Rajabala Das Memorial Annual Lecture will be delivered by eminent journalist and thinker Prasanta Rajguru, Editor-in-Chief of Prag News. Instituted in 2024, the Rajabala Das National Award is conferred annually on a personality of national stature who has made outstanding contributions to society. The award includes a...

APCC Holds Press Conference Alleging Irregularities Against Assam CM

Guwahati, 4 February: The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Tuesday held a press conference at Rajiv Bhawan, during which party leaders made a series of allegations against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and launched an online platform to collect information related to their claims. The press conference was attended by former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and Congress election observer Bhupesh Baghel, All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary in charge of Assam Jitendra Singh, APCC President Gaurav Gogoi, and other senior party leaders. During the event, a video titled “Who Is Himanta Biswa Sarma?” was released, followed by the launch of a QR-code-enabled template...