SAARC-UNIFM

4th review meeting in Colombo

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

SAARC-UNIFM 4th Review Meeting on the participation of the SAARC Gender Info Base (SGIB)will be held in Colombo in March 2010, Child Development and Women's Empowerment Ministry Secretary M. Sumanadasa said.

According to Sumanadasa SAARC-UNIFM 3rd review meeting on the preparation of the SGIB was held in Male from March 16-17, with the attendance of senior officials from eight SAARC countries - Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The meeting was inaugurated by Ahmed Fayaz Hassan, Minister of State for Health and Family, Maldives and Ibrahim Hussain Zaki, Special Envoy of the President, was the Chief Guest. Child Development and Women's Empowerment Ministry Secretary and Prof. Savithri Gunasekara, Core-Member of the SGIB Technical Committee participated representing Sri Lanka, he said.

SAARC Gender Info Base (SGIB) is the South Asian repository of qualitative and quantitative data and information on gender related issues and women empowerment.

This regional effort aims at developing a regional resource knowledge based by collecting, processing and analyzing an agreed set of gender-related information in the region which will enable introducing a gender perspective in governance and bringing about greater gender equality, equity and sustainable development, he added.