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by Uditha Kumarasinghe

According to statistics compiled by the Department of the Commissioner-General of Samurdhi, 20,000 Samurdhi beneficiary women have been deserted by their husbands. Immediate steps have been taken to collect data on these women to help improve their socio,economic conditions under the 100 days program of the UNF Government, Samurdhi Commissioner-General Dr.Mrs.Kumari Nawaratne said.

The data will be collected at district level to provide them relief immediately,Dr.Mrs.Nawaratne told the Daily News yesterday.

She said during the first stage, the Department had already identified 1034 women in 13 districts and met them personally to look into their hardships. All these women will be provided relief within the next 100 days.

Initially, these 1034 women will be given assistance to commence a self employment venture which would enable them to uplift their living conditions. In addition, the difficulties faced by these women in sending their children to schools will also be addressed so that children can pursue their education without any hindrance, she said.

"At present, we have found a majority of such deserted women from the Ratnapura and Kalutara districts."

She said that various NGOs and women's organisations working for women's welfare had not worked into the needs of these deserted women and widows properly. Therefore, initiatives were taken by the Samurdhi movement to focus special attention on them. The NERD has also assisted for this program.

Dr. Mrs. Nawaratne said during the second stage the program would take immediate measures to look into the problems of another 19066 Samurdhi beneficiary women scattered throughout the country.

Meanwhile, steps will also be taken in future to expand this program to assist other women outside the Samurdhi movement who have become helpless due to the demise of their husbands or being separated from their husbands, she said.

Arrangements have also been made to increase women's participation in the Samurdhi movement in the future through various programs, she added.

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