Shillong: Meghalaya State Commission for Women Chairperson Iamonlang Syiem wants One Stop Centre staff to put themselves first. She addressed workers during a capacity building program held at the State Convention Centre on Wednesday. The National Commission for Women organized the event to sharpen the skills of those helping survivors of gender-based violence.
Frontline staff face constant emotional strain. Burnout looms large for counsellors, social workers, and legal experts. Syiem told the group they must set firm boundaries between their jobs and their private lives. She dismissed the idea that workers should feel guilty for taking care of their own needs.
"We cannot give unless we have," Syiem said. She compared professional growth to adding nutrients back into depleted soil. Workers need to drop old biases and learn new tricks to stay effective. If the staff stops learning, the quality of help for vulnerable women suffers.
The training aims to build a stronger team capable of managing complex cases and training others at the grassroots level. Syiem thanked the National Commission for Women for backing the project. She called the participants heroes, but reminded them that staying sharp is part of the job. Adaptability is the only way to keep providing quality service in a tough field.
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