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| Sunday, 9 October 2005 |
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Plea to
empower more women in decision-making process
by Don Asoka Wijewardena Although 57 years have passed after Sri Lanka gained independence, women have not been empowered to participate in the decision-making process in the government and private sector, said Sri Lanka's former ambassador to Malaysia Rosi Senanayaka at the Annual Conference of the American Women's Chamber of Commerce at the World Trade Centre last week. Ms Senanayaka said that although Sri Lanka has a high literacy rate compared to other countries in South East Asia,only 4 per cent of women had been serving in the State machinery. Of Sri Lanka's total population around 53.5 per cent comprised women and their due place in the society had not been given. "Around 8 per cent of women face domestic violence and sexual harassment. No tangible action has been taken to eradicate this," she said. Ms Senanayaka said that women engaged in the estate and agriculture sector had been making an enormous contribution of 70 per cent to the national economy adding that their efforts had not been recognised. ' Women working in multinational garment factories were also facing numerous problems such as inadequate hostel facilities and transport difficulties. She said that it was the bounden duty of responsible authorities to uplift the lifestyles and standard of living of women. Ms Senanayaka said that in Scandinavian countries such as Sweden and Denmark around 44 per cent women had entered politics and were in the decision-making process at national and international level. Though Sri Lanka got universal suffrage in 1931, women had been playing subordinate roles in the society. Referring to the female migrant workers, Ms Senanayaka said that a large number of migrant workers for want of education were constrained to migrate as housemaids and they were prone to different kinds of abuses.She said that no appropriate action to protect these female workers had been taken by successive governments. Women empowerment was of immense value to Sri Lanka if Sri Lanka was to attain prosperity, she said. |
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