Ranil says: Fifty per cent of women's rights should be guaranteed
 

BY L.B. Wijayasiri in Kandy

OPPOSITION and UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe told the UNP women's Organisation District Convention that the legitimate rights of women who consisted 51 per cent of the country's population, should be granted.

"The UNP was hoping to take a number of steps under their next government to provide them those rights," he told the convention of Eksath Lak Wanitha Peramuna at St. Anthony's Conference Hall, Katugastota recently.

Wickremesinghe said the UNP policy was not to keep women confined to their homes.

"Some spoke about Muslims not being given proper represent a tion in the P-TOMS but who is going to talk about women being denied their rights," he asked.

"It was the UNP who spoke about the women's rights at the previous election campaign. They did not say that they would "detach plugs" and reduce the cost of living. But what has happened today," Wickremesinghe asked.

Under the next UNP government a separate division will be set up to work for the benefit of families whose householders are women, he said.

Of the employed women in the country, 75 per cent are employed under garment related industries. A very small proportion was employed in managerial level employments. That state of affairs should be changed. The number of women in the UNP executive committee will be increased next year", he said.