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| Wednesday, 8 December 2004 |
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Features | |
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The pregnancy leave bonanza Gender Dialogue by Nadira Gunatilleke At last the country has recognised the need and importance of creating a mentally and physically healthy future generation and the need to completely eradicate violence against women. Granting one year maternity leave and imposing the death penalty against rapists are very timely moves when considering the need for a healthy and strong future generation and the ruthlessness of the crimes executed against Sri Lankan women. There are both positive and negative effects of the newly introduced one year maternity leave facility. There are many plus points in it. The country needs a mentally and physically healthy future generation in order to bring the country to 'developed' status. The country is experiencing a rapidly growing elderly population and it is important to have a strong younger generation (especially fed with breast milk) to look after this social segment. The young mothers will be relieved due to this year long maternity leave period because they can look after the baby well and return to their jobs in a better shape. There are a few minus points in the same condition. Most of the private banks have already cut down their female staff and there is no assurance that other private sector companies will not follow the same strategy to maximise their profits. Since there is no law in Sri Lanka ensuring equal number of male and female employees in an institution, they will not keep the position vacant for one year and will recruit a new person, train him and keep him in the position forever because they will not be able to send him home when the female employee comes back. In Sweden and some other countries there are laws to protect women on such occasions. Even though the female employee returns after one year she will not be able to work as usual due to lack of function, introduction of latest technology such as new software and her age (she is one year older now). She will need some time to get back to her original speed but it is doubtful whether her employer will wait and tolerate her or not. Since the public sector always tries to manage with available staff, this problem will not affect the public sector employees. When it comes to tougher punishments for the persons who execute violence against women, it was not only one or two ordinary women who were raped, killed and abused during the recent past. Even there were female High Court judges among them! But so far the law has not protected them but let the perpetrators escape through loop holes in the law. It was the victims who had been abused continuously when giving evidence before courts and amid the public. It was only the victims who were abused one time after another when lawyers forwarded questions to them and asked to describe how they were raped. Murders and drug offenses are also very serious crimes and it is very appropriate to impose the death penalty on them. But imposing death penalty for rape is very significant because this crime makes the victims's life a living hell. When considering Sri Lankan culture and the amount of publicity given to a rape victim by mass media it is impossible for a rape victim and her family to lead a normal life. The most common thing which happens to a rape victim is for society to drag her onto the streets as a prostitute. Society tells her that she is a useless person and there is no value in her. Her family members also encourage her to go into the streets by chasing her away from her home and family in order to safeguard their reputation. As a result of this a prostitute who is trying to take revenge from society is being created and it promotes more crimes in the society. According to this circle, a rapist executes more than one crime; raping an innocent woman, creating a prostitute out of the victim and destroying society through prostitution. Sri Lankan society is dumb when it comes to taking steps towards women's welfare. There is no individual, groups of persons or organisations to commend or criticise the new proposals introduced by the Government or any other party. No need to explain this situation. Is there a woman in our society who is willing to speak on behalf of another woman, harassed by a male passenger in a public vehicle? |
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