In an effort to empower women prisoners and create awareness about their rights, the Manipur State Legal Services Authority (MASLSA) held a programme at Manipur Central Jail, Imphal on Tuesday.
The day legal awareness cum interaction programme, organised by the Manipur State Legal Services Authority, deliberated on the theme ‘Legal rights as well as importance of economic empowerment of women prisoners’. The programme was attended by 40 women inmates.
The programme was held as a part of the MASLSA campaign, ‘Enhancing Effective Legal Aid and Services to Women Prisoners’. It aimed to ensure effective legal aid and services to women prisoners as well as to encourage them in undertaking economic/ livelihood development initiatives so as to have a sustainable livelihood and income, MASLSA said.
Most of the prisoners lodged in Manipur Central Jail, Imphal lack awareness about their rights and of the proceedings of their cases. Women prisoners require more specific care in most of the cases. Hence, the need to regularly educate them about their rights and provide easy access to legal aids and services.
Also, most of the women prisoners in Manipur jails are from economically and socially deprived families and they had turned to crimes out of desperation. Hence, enabling them with proper life skills to generate sustainable livelihood and income will help in mitigating crimes and in giving back their dignity as well.
Member secretary Ojesh Mutum; additional member secretary Sorokhaibam Sadananda; superintendent of Prison, Manipur Central Jail, Imphal Sorokhaibam Bhadrika; and proprietor, Meira Foods Hanjabam Subhra Devi attended the programme as presidium members.
Sadananda deliberated on the ‘Legal Rights of Women Prisoners’ and proprietor, Meira Foods Hanjabam Subhra Devi provided an interactive session on the importance of economic empowerment of women inmates.
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