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| Wednesday, 10 March 2004 |
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A project to empower Lanka's women by Nilhan de Mel Today, many of us take for granted that women can cast their vote, have a university education and hold high positions. To many of us, this would seem to be the reality with which we grew up. Yet, even today, beneath appearances, gender inequality is alive and present.
Even in a country like the United States of America, which we would perhaps consider as a dissemination point for gender-balanced thinking, gave women their right to vote only the other day (1920). The enfranchisement of women in the twentieth century over many parts of the world, has not however led to a gender-balanced representation of women in the political arena. In 2002, the mean value of female representation in politics in the world was as low as twelve percent. While European and some Western countries have often seen female representation in Parliament above fifteen percent, many African and Asian countries have often had female representation lower than five percent. In Sri Lanka also the percentage of female representation in politics is usually less than five percent. One of the main objectives of the Prabodhini project of the National Peace Council, is to help rectify this anomaly. The Prabodhini Project works in ten districts around the country, helping and empowering women to reach their potential. The Prabodhini team has built its network in ten districts of Sri Lanka. Each of these districts will have their own programme in commemoration of the women's day, during this period. On the 8th of March however many network members from all these ten districts were scheduled to arrive in their bus loads to Colombo. In Colombo in the vicinity of the New Town Hall, this large gathering of people from many parts of the island, were to take part in a march for the rights and equality of women. As apart of their morning activities, groups will also perform street dramas in prominent places in Colombo. Later on in the afternoon the activities will move to the New Town Hall where each group from every district will present their own items. Whatever the effects of these celebrations are towards creating equality for women in Sri Lanka, one thing is clear, the memories, experiences and anecdotes shared by Prabodhini and her islandwide network this year, will ring in the hearts and minds of people for many more International Women's Days to come. |
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Produced by Lake House |
Even a superficial look at history will inform us of the sad but true
reality, that till quite recently in most countries women were deprived of
even their right to vote, of their right to higher education and of their
right to equal pay and so on. In many parts of the world, some of these
inequalities still thrive.
