International Women’s Day, outcome of a working women’s struggle - Southern Province Governor

D.C. de Silva, Kahawa Group correspondent

“International Women’s Day” was the outcome of a struggle led by working women in Germany in 1908’ said Southern Province Governor Kumari Balasuriya at Koggala.

She was the Chief Guest at the ceremony organised by the Koggala BOI directorate office and held at Koggala BOI Zone, in order to mark “International Women’s Day, 2008” which fell on March 8.

Child and Women’s Welfare Ministry Secretary Mrs. Indrani Sugathadasa also participated.

Governor Balasuriya said, that, it was Clara Zetkin, the leading figure of the women’s movement of the Social Democratic Party in Germany, who named the Day March 08 every year as the Women’s Day for the first time, and it was in 1908.

She said March 8 of 1908 was the day, a group of working women in New York led a strike demanding franchise and trade union rights, for women by the US Government and they won the demand.

“Thereafter in 1910, the UNO declared March 08 every year as the “International Women’s Day” which the whole world celebrates annually. If not for the giant factory strike in the USA in 1908 we could have no Women’s Day to celebrate.

The Governor said it was the Buddha 2550 years ago who instructed about women’s protection and development through His preaching.

She said now, though the world is divided into different political, social, cultural, economic, religious, linguistic and ethnic groups, Women’s Day is celebrated worldwide with unity and amity in order to gain social equity for the development of womenkind and whatever good things are there in the international arena we must be ready to accept it without any hesitation.

The Governor said we women in the whole world must act under one common theme to win our rights and demands. Almost half of the Sri Lankan population were women, and we must be ready to keep our tradition and moral values. Income from Garment Factories was at a high ebb and it amounted to an annual sum of Rs. 48,000 million.

You all are a skilled lot who contribute your share in the National Development.

She said from 1931 women have represented parliament and late Mrs. Seetha Molamure was the first MP elected to parliament. More women are, working today in the administrative, legal, health, educational, engineering sectors.

The present election system should be changed in order to allow more representation for women. Women representation in local bodies would increase to 10 per cent.

Child and Women’s Welfare Ministry Secretary Indrani Sugathadasa said that the organisers taking steps to get schoolchildren’s participation at the ceremony was commendable.

The annual celebration of Women’s Day was necessary. She said Governor Balasuriya’s efforts to improve the provincial economy was commendable. K.G. Chandrasiri, Acting Executive Director of the Koggala BOI made the welcome address.

J.K. Abeyrathne of the BOI office proposed the vote of thanks.