‘Impressive gains by women’

Sri Lanka has achieved impressive gains in the advance of women and is ranked 36 out of 155 countries in terms of the Gender Development Index, according to the recently published UN Human Development Report 2009, said Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe addressing the UN General Meeting on October 13 in New York. “We have been ranked 12 in the UN Index on Equal Opportunities.

“Sri Lanka’s free health and education systems have resulted in the life expectancy of a woman rising to 79 years.

“We have low maternal and infant mortality rates comparable to those of developed countries,” the Minister added.