Rio at ENWO meet in Mon: women must lead, not just vote; Longleng centre

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has urged women in eastern Nagaland to step forward as leaders, not only as voters, while addressing the 6th General Conference of the Eastern Nagaland Women Organization (ENWO) in Mon on Friday.

"If women actively participate in choosing their leaders, they must also be encouraged to become leaders and help shape our society's future," Rio said, according to reports from the event. He said having more women in decision-making bodies brings in different perspectives and makes governance stronger.

Girls ahead in exams

Rio pointed to the 2026 High School Leaving Certificate results, in which, he said, girls had a pass percentage of 72.72 and outperformed boys among the top merit positions. He said the state needed to build on these gains by opening up more opportunities for women in higher education, entrepreneurship and jobs.

FNTA credit and a new centre

A large part of the speech was about the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) Bill, 2026, which recently received the President's assent and creates a new self-governing body for the six eastern districts. Rio praised ENWO for backing the Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation (ENPO) through the long campaign that led to the arrangement, and said he expected the FNTA to bring decentralised governance, development and economic opportunity to the region.

He announced that the state government has approved construction of an ENWO Resource Centre in Longleng, and asked the organisation to turn it into a hub for learning, capacity-building and skill training.

Deputy Chief Minister Yanthungo Patton also attended and commended ENWO for its work on women's welfare, children's rights and marginalised frontier communities.

Why it matters

Eastern Nagaland, made up of Mon, Tuensang, Longleng, Kiphire, Noklak and Shamator districts, has long lagged the rest of the state on roads, health and education, which fed the ENPO's demand for a separate arrangement. The FNTA's success will depend partly on whether women, who have historically had little place in Naga customary decision-making bodies, get a real voice in the new institutions.

Nagaland elected its first two women MLAs only in 2023, and women's reservation in urban local bodies was resisted for years before the 2024 civic polls were finally held with the 33% quota.