Women can contribute towards development - Pushpa Rajapaksa

Chaminda PERERA

The plight of Sri Lankan female workers in foreign countries can only be ended by empowering women economically, said Liya Abhiman program Chairperson Attorney at Law Pushpa Rajapaksa.

She said the empowerment of women will strengthen the family unit and it helps achieve the desired targets of Mahinda Chintana. She was speaking at a ceremony after inaugurating a packeting centre of spices and foods at Pepiliyawala in Dompe in the Gampaha district.

"Women can contribute immensely towards economic development of the country if they are provided with self-employment training, financial assistance and proper guidance," she added.

Rajapaksa was of the view that new markets need to be explored for them.

The Liya Abhiman program is a brainchild of Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa to empower women of low income families and uplift their living standards.

The women of low income families were encouraged to do bee-keeping and Anthurium cultivation under the first phase of the program.

The centre for the packeting of spices and food varies was started under the second stage of the program.

Over 33 women of low income families in the Dangalle and Nedungolla Samurdhi Zones are working in this centre.

A company which has a supermarket chain has come forward to buy the packeted items from this centre.

Rajapaksa presented Samurdhi pass books to all self-employed women. Gampaha District Parliamentarian Dulip Wijesekera and Samurdhi Authority Commissioner General Bandula Thilakasiri were also present.