Social scientist slammed for his take on women

    24-Feb-2020
By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Feb 23: RISE, a body formed by women working in various fields, has strongly condemned the statement recently made by Dr Dhanabir Laishram, regarding childbirth and women in general.
Speaking to media persons at Manipur Press Club today, RISE member Nonibala Ngarengbam said that such demeaning and unfounded statements from Dhanabir Laishram about a woman's body and matters regarding childbirth is extremely unfortunate.
His statement completely undermines the significance of women empowerment. Women go through untold hardships and suffering from the beginning of pregnancy, the process of child birth, all the way up to looking after and caring for their child. Considering this immense role, a woman has the right to either choose normal childbirth or Caesarean section, she said.
Reminding that a social scientist like Dr Dhanabir Laishram plays an important role in guiding the society towards the right direction, Nonibala said that many students and youth look upto such figures and their counselling to prepare themselves for the future.
However, his recent statement, which has since gone viral on social media, has the potential to misguide the youth on women and their bodies, she argued.
Nonibala then appealed to all social commentators and resource persons to refrain from making statements about women and their bodies and similar volatile issues, at gatherings and social media platforms. Women have the right and freedom to make their own decision and choices very much like men, she explained. On the other hand, Nonibala appealed to the media fraternity to scrutinize any news items or topics before publishing them if they contain gender sensitive comments or reports.