Women outstrip Men

Sri Lanka women's contribution to the country's economy is significant. Their role in foreign exchange earning enterprises such as foreign employment, garment and tea industries is pivotal.

In many fields the Sri Lankan woman has already outstripped her male counterpart, said Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa at the opening of the 'Hela Veda Abhimana' exhibition and medical clinic at the Sri Saranankaramaya, Makandura recently.

The event was jointly organized by the Indigenous Medicine Ministry and Ayurveda Department.

The Minister said, "our mothers of the yore did not go after the 'pill'. Medicinal herbs cultivated in their home garden were panacea for all ills! People were healthier and economically more viable. We ought to reverse the present pattern and the women should have to take the lead.

A program to cultivate medicinal herbs locally will be launched shortly.

It will be a profitable enterprise, which will help strengthen domestic economy and create lucrative employment opportunities to village women."

Indigenous Medicine Minister Tissa Karaliyadde said, "we have cultivated a large number of medicinal herbs locally as against the old practice of importing from India.

Today India has imposed a ban on the export of Ayurvedic drugs and therefore it is time for us to encourage the local cultivation of medicinal herbs."