Status of Women in Naga Society|Anna Lungbila.P Bibiana Maram

Image credit: Isaac Inkah

The Naga tribes are one of the ethnic tribes of India spread out to Nagaland, in the four districts of Manipur i.e. Senapati, Ukhrul, Tamenglong, and Chandel, East Arunachal Pradesh in Tirap and Changlang districts, in some parts of Assam in India, in Cachar and Karbi districts and the Nagas under Myanmar are settled in Sagaing province and Kachin States. They do not have a written script of their own. The philosophical beliefs, the customs, the tradition, and their histories are transmitted orally from one generation to another. 

The oral tradition plays an important role in their daily life, decision-making, and social life. Customary and traditional laws play an important role in determining the status of the women in the Naga society. They enjoy a certain privilege, as there is no strict rigidity in the Naga Society. Naga society is a classless and casteless society. Women have a certain degree of equality yet she is expected to stay at home, cook, look after the children, carry water, and procreate. Within the patriarchal hierarchy, she is a daughter in her father’s home, a sister to her brother, a wife to husband, a mother to her children and a grandmother. There is an old saying about women “A woman is not to live in the light, love, and laughter but in dark, sadness, and misery”.  A girl child is never allowed to study when education was first introduced.

Scheduled tribes (STs) constitute the weakest section of the Indian population from ecological, economic and educational perspectives. They compose the matrix of poverty and represent one of the most marginalized and economically impoverished groups in the nation. As per the Census of India 2001, STs constitute about 8.2% of the total population in India

 “Many women in more civilised parts of India may well envy the women of the Naga hills their high status and their free and happy life; and if you measure the cultural level of the people by the social position and personal freedom of its women, you will think twice before looking down on the Nagas as ‘savages’’ (Haimendorf, 1939:101).

In spite of a male bias in traditional customary laws, Naga society does not treat women as property or slaves. All her life as a daughter, wife and mother, she enjoys considerable freedom and plays an important role in the family as well as in community life. There are, some social restrictions for women, for instance, they cannot touch spears and shields which are men’s domain, join a hunting party, and or inherit the father’s landed property. After marriage, a woman becomes ‘another’ person, humble in relation to her husband, loyal to her husband’s family and clan, taking care of children and domestic chores. She is only left with an emotional attachment to her parents and their clan (U A Shimray 2004).

Women’s role and their contributions to society are always in a sustainable form. This is because women’s association with social ethics begins right at the family level. Indeed, the mother of a household is the first person to teach children social etiquette and moral conduct in society. And through the proper maintenance of the family, Naga society is able to sustain its customs and values.

Naga society following the patrilineal and patriarchal system has the norms and attitude of patriarchy which affects, the status of women. Institutions and traditions are inspired by the belief in male dominance and female inferiority. Hence, although patriarchy persists in all contemporary societies, its impact varies from tribe to tribe among the Naga society.

It is good to remember that in traditional societies, the status of women was usually in relation to her family as a daughter, wife, sister and mother. In the new emerging situation, a woman’s status is described more in terms of her achievement in education, career, and position in society (Lucy Zehol 1998).

In Naga society, women are the head that cradles the child and shoulders the burden of the family. What makes a woman ‘good or ‘bad’ largely depends on what kind of role and behavioral pattern the society has ascribed to her and to what extent she is able to conform to these. She is always seen in the role of quintessential mother to her child, dedicated wife to her husband, serving daughter-in-law to her parents in - laws, dutiful daughter to her parents, and dear sister to her brother to whom she can fit comfortably without ever perceiving herself as a person by her own rights. Every society undergoes changes, and so also with the Naga society. Many of these changes are social, economic, and political and educational which have brought about the onset of modernization. The transition that has taken place among the Nagas, especially among women folk, is most visibly noticeable.

Social status:

Social life is something that is very unique and important for a tribal, it means much to them. Social life and community play an important role in the life of the Naga tribe. In an administrative role, the Naga women can extend mostly only in the running of a household. She nurtures the children, brings firewood from the forest and does the cooking and weaving. She plays a large role in cultivation but when any serious matter arises in the family, the final decision is taken by the husband.

However, she plays an indirect role in decision-making by influencing her husband. The numerous household chores and fieldwork made the task of the Naga women envious. Though her status as one of equality, she had her own specific roles to play in her everyday life. There is no segregation and seclusion of women from the community and yet, a woman is not consulted on the matters pertaining to the village or defence, or on the deliberations of the village council. She might know of these deliberations but she doesn’t have any active role to play in contributing to the village administrative machinery, the role of an advisor. Sometimes this difference arises between the husband and wife.

Women orchestrate all daily chores necessary for the family’s subsistence, while the husband indulges in the hustle and bustle of the village social life but this in no way makes her known to the unreasonable demands of her husband if he makes such demand she stands on her ground if it curtails her freedom.

Economic status:

Naga women do not enjoy a great deal of property ownership. They are given only moveable inheritances such as necklaces, traditional baskets, shawls, ornaments, etc. In the customary law of Naga society, women are not entitled to immovable properties such as land, houses, fields, etc. However, over time, some liberal families have started to give their daughters immovable properties. Generally, there is no discrimination or differentiation in daily wage status between males and females. There is equal pay for equal work. 

However, based on the type of work there are differences in the payment of wages such as plowing of fields, cutting firewood, constructing of houses, etc. The important role of women in the welfare of the family is being realized gradually.  As the socio‑economic progress of the community has a direct link with the empowerment of women, the development programmes for women are receiving greater attention. The task now is to ensure the effective participation of women in the sustainable development of the community.

Political Status:

The Naga society has a highly organized political unit, and the members always stress the value of a democratic outlook. Though most of the Nagas have a hereditary chief in the person of king and queen, their functions are very nominal because the chief must act according to the wishes of the people and on the advice of the village representatives. Though Nagas do not have sophisticated government machinery, a democratic way of life is the essence of their life.

Naga societies being the patriarchal society the men folk overpower the womenfolk in political rights. Women have no representative in the Panchayat Raj at the village level. However, they participate in casting their vote at the district, state, and national levels. Even though women are equally eligible for candidature in the political system, women are ignored and deprived. Men grasp all the privileges and opportunities in leadership. The male members occupy almost all the major positions but female members are hardly given any major position in the political set-up.

The Nagas not only have complete machinery of tribal administration but tribal polity as well as to provide dispensation of justice. Their codes of law have separate written laws to deal with marriage, divorce, rape, theft, murder, adoption inheritance, settlement of disputes, etc.

Religious Status:

In most of the Naga community, Christianity came in the last few decades back but at present Religion plays a crucial role in the life of Nagas.  In terms of faith and religion women stand more firm than men. In the initial stage, religion brought changes in the Naga society since missionaries came and established the first girl’s school to empower the girls and give them educational opportunities to the girls. With this slowly and gradually the society started converting themselves. At present looking at the status of Naga women we see tremendous changes taking place within the society.

Educational Status:

The level of education is an important indication for understanding the present and future status of women in Naga society. The hegemonic masculine ideology made them suffer a lot in the past as they were denied equal opportunities in society. Among the Naga society, it is depicted that the education of women is the most powerful tool for change of position in society.

In most of the Naga society, women were not encouraged to receive education in earlier days. The female or the girl child is usually taught how to cook, spin, and weave by her mother. The society has realized the importance of allowing girls to choose their careers and fulfill their roles in society. Today, there is a better understanding of the importance and need of girls’ education for family, society, community, and development at large.

The changes that have taken place among the Naga women during the last three decades are worth noting and a majority believes that it was possible due to the influence of education. the changes are also due to the fact that today there is a sizeable number of girls in the Naga society who go to school as compared to the early days. It reveals the fact that the percentage of girl students who attended school as well as higher education have increased to an unimaginable equation.  

Today, we see many women are empowered in many areas of their lives in society due to the influence of education. Now a day’s many Naga girls are studying in colleges, and universities and engaged in different types of employment in many states of India. So, women's education serves as an essential input in the overall process of development.

Conclusion:

The Naga society though patriarchal in nature had given an extra-ordinarily respectable place and role for women from the earliest known period. As a result, it was easy for them to have a progressive transition in empowering them in modern society. As a matter of fact today Naga women have very high regard and acceptability in the socio, political, and religious sphere. This is something unique only to Naga society in comparison with their counterparts in the rest of the country.

Anna Lungbila.P Bibiana Maram, Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Kerala. 

The article first appeared in NagaDao, an annual publication of the Naga Students Union, Delhi.