Three forces for women’s rights

by Anushka Nanayakkara and Sajitha Prematunge

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First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa and Chairperson Air Force Seva Vanitha Unit, Nelun Goonatileke lighting the oil lamp

Chairperson Sri Lanka Navy Seva Vanitha Unit Asoka Karannagoda arriving at the Welikada Prison

Member of Parliament Nirupama Rajapakse presenting wheel chairs to the needy

Chairperson Sri Lanka Army Seva Vanitha Unit, Anoma Fonseka presenting spectacles to needy women soldiers

World Womens’ Day fell on March 8. A day which was originally celebrated for purely political reasons, has now become a celebration of political and social achievement of women the world over.

The role of the woman in current society is much different to that of a woman few hundred years ago. Sri Lanka is famous for its values. Women in developed countries cherish their liberty more than values. But what use are values in a place where a woman’s capabilities are taken for granted.

But has Sri Lanka lived up to the standards? A greater representation of the parliament are men. This in itself proves that women have not taken full advantage of the freedom handed to them. Moreover, the percentage of men holding eminent position in society is greater than that of women.

Does this signify that the society is holding them down or does this show a lack of confidence in women? But on the other hand more than 90 per cent of foreign exchange earning industries are dominated by women.

Women are categorised in various ways in society. Some women are the masters in the home and company. We might not be wrong if we refer to it as a petticoat government. One set of women who control or rather harass men. The second set of women show one facade to the world, while inside their lives they are in a perdition.

The third set of women are the ones who are being harassed by men. The women of today undergo physical and mental harassment by society. Especially Sri Lanka being part of the South Asian region, the ways and means of respecting women have been differentiated by the society itself.

Celebration of womanhood should not be restricted to one day. However all three of the Sri Lanka Forces celebrated Womens’ day in their own exemplary way. Sri Lanka Air Force Womens’ Day was held last week with the presence of the First Lady, Shiranthi Rajapaksa as chief guest and the wife of the Secretary of Defence, Ayoma Rajapaksa as Guest of Honour.

Sri Lanka Air Force Seva Vanitha unit consider women as a united community and strongly believe that women should always work towards their goal which is a world free from despise, violence and impoverishment.

A world of equal rights, thriving and secure for all women to live peacefully and to be progressive in their fields of talent. Addressing the welcome speech, Chairperson of the Air Force Seva Vanitha Unit Nelun Goonetileke said there must be no difference in men and women’s right to live in dignity, to pursue and achieve life’s aspirations and to lead a contented life.

Twenty three more scholarships were presented on the day, making the total number of scholarships presented by the Marion Goonatileke Fund to date, one hundred. Peoples Bank presented a cheque worth 1.4 million for the Anula Fernando Housing Project. Chairperson Nelun Goonetileke also said “Investment in women and children will build a nation” and that she is of strong belief that the society must take up this mission to raise the girl and boy child in a manner that would appreciate, accept and honour every human being equally.

Sri Lanka Armys’ Womens’ Day celebrations were also held last week, with the presence of Chairperson, Army Seva Vanitha Unit Anoma Fonseka and wife of Secretary of Defence Ayoma Rajapakse as Chief guest.

Their objective on World Womens’ Day was to highlight the role ‘women’ should play in society and their mission to uphold justice and empower women to serve the society better. The Seva Vanitha Unit of the Sri Lanka Army donated ten spectacles to women soldiers.

A speech on womens’ role in present society was given by the Additional Secretary to Ministry of Trade and Consumer Affairs Jayantha Rukmani Siriwardane and a cookery demonstration was held to inaugurate the day.

A special programme for the welfare of women residents at the Welikada prison was launched by the Seva Vanitha Unit of the Sri Lanka Navy commemorating Womens Day, last week. The president of the SL Navy Seva Vanitha Unit, Ashoka Karannagoda, participating in the event, took initiative to release two residents detained for minor offenses.

The mission of the SL Navy Seva Vanitha unit is to look after the Naval family personnel, who have been killed, injured or missing in action and to conduct social welfare missions. According to the Sri Lankan law women should be treated equally.

At an age where focus is on equal rights, women should understand that they are by no means equal to men. Not that they should consider them selves inferior, nor should they be superior.

They are just different and there fore should fight for ‘just rights’ instead of equal rights.