National database on women to be set up

by Ranil Wiajayapala

The Ministry of Child Development and Women’s Affairs will set up a national database on Sri Lankan women in collaboration with the Census and Statistics Department, Computer Science Department of the University of Colombo and the Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration.

The Ministry took this initiative due to the need to have a correct database on women to harness their contribution to develop the country after empowering them socially and economically.

The setting up of this database also aims at facilitating those conducting research on women in Sri Lanka to have access to the correct data on women, a spokesman for the Ministry said.

The Ministry hopes to set up the database using the data on women included in the administrative reports of the country as it is considered the most effective and practical way of collecting data on women when conducting fresh research. Through this database which is to be launched under the e-women concept, the Ministry hopes to collect data on widows and women-headed families, women entrepreneurs, women subjected to harassment and abuse and also about employed and unemployed women.

Child Development and Women’s Affairs Minister Tissa Karaliyadda said that the lack of proper data on women during the war against terrorism helped narrow-minded volunteer organisations to create a bad image of the country by producing false reports on women.