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| Sunday, 6 November 2005 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Which is the
weaker sex?
"Except for their biological function we can surely do without the descendants of Adam on planet Earth."
It's impossible not to think of such a phrase as one listens to Janaki Gunawardene, the founder of Business and Professional Women Sri Lanka, when she describes how her association built the first Global Peace Village in Illukpitiya in the Polonnaruwa District for the needy, war-refugees from three completely destroyed villages. Even if men are not totally indispensable yet, surely women can no longer be considered the weaker sex. Unique Certainly not women like Gunawardene, who believes every human being should have a vision. Her "Vision", she says came to her when she and her colleagues from Business and Professional Women Sri Lanka took a lorry load of clothes and dry rations to the villagers of Illukpitiya and when she realised their need for a roof over their heads and a place to call their own. Determined to build houses for these displaced brethren, she had sought assistance from the international community and was helped by individuals who sent her donations ranging from 1000 pounds to 300 or even 100. Purchasing land in Ilukpitiya the Global Peace Village thus initiated had built 35 houses. "Now there are over 500 houses in Ilukpitiya, Palliyagodalla and Gurugodalla", says Gunawardene. Committed Talking about Business and Professional Women Sri Lanka (BPW Sri Lanka), she says the association was founded by her in June 1993 together with a few committed and like-minded women with the aim of raising the status and quality of living of women in Sri Lanka and is affiliated to Business and Professional Women International. The latter, founded by Dr. Lena Madesin Philips in St. Louis, Missouri USA has now spread far and wide with affiliates in over 125 countries. Welcoming all women to join the association regardless of their remunerative occupation, Gunawardene says as a member of BPW Sri Lanka a woman gets the opportunity to develop leadership skills and advance her career while taking part in current issues important to women, the economy and the peaceful stability of the country. Indignant that women have been excluded from the Peace talks, deviating into politics, Gunawardene concludes with the words "How can a group of men talk peace? Women must be included in the peace talks and they should not be held in a foreign country drinking red wine but in our own country eating red rice". -Aditha |
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