Lightening the woman's lot is her life's labour

Ruwanthi Abeyakoon

She works to empower the women in our society. Secretary to the Ministry of Child Development and Women's Empowerment Indrani Sugathadasa, talks about the endeavours taken to uplift the condition of women by the Ministry.

The circular passed recently by the Ministry to mark the International Women's Day on minimising the sexual harassments at work place was much talked about. "The circular was on appointing an investigation committee to take complains on sexual harassment of women in work places.

This circular was recommended by the Human Rights Commission and was carried out under the patronage of my Minister Sumedha Jayasena. There has been a good response. Around 75 per cent of the institutions that are informed about the circular has already formed investigation committees," she said.

Her work experience at the New York Women's Bureau has been an eye opener for her. "It was surprising to learn that similar issues take place in America. They give the preference to males," she explained.

She has travelled around the country during the time she worked for the National Youth Services Council and it helped her to expand her knowledge of social issues.

She added that rural women are empowered than before.

"There are many community based organisations that help in developing the leadership qualities and uplifting the social conditions of women but a significant improvement cannot be seen in the self-employment sector due to the risk of approaching the market," she said. She added that reed bags industry and textiles are the areas that most women are involved in and this can be expanded if they are supported.

Talking about the projects carried out by the ministry she said that under Mahinda Chinthana - `Diriya Kantha' project they have already identified 25 unemployed women per divisional secretary who have the potential to be self-entrepreneurs if they are financially supported.

"In Sri Lanka there is a high literacy level but there is a low participation in politics and other leadership programmes. This happens due to the disapproval of parents. It is a tough game and national committees and NGO s are working hard to bring Sri Lankan women forward," Sugathadasa said.

She also added that the Minister has also started projects to minimise the number of women going to middle east countries for employment.

"We have to create alternatives to keep them. Awareness programs are conducted in Anuradhapura and programmes will be organised in many other districts," she said.

"Women should use their intelligence and protect the traditions. They should value the culture. Even the queen has a role to play as a woman.

So women should have a sound education to understand their role and the limits of her freedom. It is tough playing the roles of a mother and a career woman", she said. "Being a mother is a joyful experience". I have handled both roles very well and I am satisfied. I have raised two wonderful children and at the same time I have carried out the responsibilities," she said.

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Want to live up to 100?

The secret of a long life seems to boil down to four factors: diet, exercise, psycho-spiritual and social.

Indeed, what does it take to live to the ripe age of 100? Scientists have listed 10 commandments for a long life.

They say that if you follow the simple rules, you have a fair chance of joining the growing number of centenarians across the globe.

The scientists estimate that the largest centenarian populations in 2050 would be in China with 472,000, the US with 298,000, Japan with 272,000 and India with 111,000.

In new research published in New Scientist, scientists have drawn the list of 10 commandments after trawling through medical studies published over the past 50 years examining why more people are living longer.

The conclusion is that taking good care of the physical lifestyle - food, exercise - is a small part of the trick. Some scientists believe that spiritual and social reasons can be more important.

Psychology and health expert Carey Cooper, from Lancaster University, said positive thinking was one of the most important factors running throughout the 10 rules. We're rushing around all the time and don't really have the moments when we can do something for ourselves. If that means sharing a bottle of wine with a loved one, so be it. It's not going to do you any harm and will help you relax and enjoy life," he told the Daily Express.

He added: "Marriage and having a stable relationship is one of the most important factors.

A long-term relationship provides you with structure and stability in a world that's ever-changing."

The New Scientist article, titled "How To Live To 100 And Enjoy It", says that the first rule for longer life is exposure to certain 'poisons' that may help to reverse the ageing process and boost life expectancy by up to 15 years.

The second commandment is remaining sociable, with a happy marriage and good family life being essential for health. Studies have shown that marriage can add as much as seven years to a man's life and two years to a woman's life.

The place where you live is the third rule: there are several places across the globe that are conducive to man living up to the age of 100. For example, the Japanese island of Okinawa is generally considered the longevity capital of the world, with more than 400 centenarians in a population of 1.3 million.

The fourth rule is that so-called vices such as wine, chocolate and sleep have a good effect because a little of what you like can do you good rather than harm.

The fifth rule says you should exercise the brain to stay active - play Sudoku, for example.

The sixth commandment follows the age-old adage that prevention is better than cure, urging aspiring centenarians to go for cancer scans if there was a history of the disease in the family.

The seventh rule is simple: watch what you eat. Rule eight urges people to put more excitement into their lives.

Merely living longer is not worth doing unless it is an enjoyable experience.

Rule nine advises those seeking a long life to embrace any new technologies.

The final commandment is to smile and feel happier with one's lot in life.

Hindustan Times