More women should participate in Nation building -Uttarakhand State Governor

Chaminda Perera

Former General Secretary of Indian National Congress and present Governor of Uttarakhand State in India Margret Alva yesterday stressed the importance of integrating more women's participation into the development process.

She was of the view that women should actively be involved in the nation building exercise.

She said that she believes that the dividends of development should reach the least and less privileged people. Margret Alva who happened to be the first woman Governor of the Uttarakhand State was addressing the International Women's Day celebration organized by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party's women wing at the Sugathadasa Indoor stadium.

She opined that male dominance in the Indian society is gradually changing but women in rural areas are still far behind when compared to the women in urban and suburban areas.

She said the Indian Government brought in landmark legislation in 1992 which helped women's participation in governance.

Alva added that women's representation in several Local Government institutions and Panchayats have increased from 32 percent to 50 percent during the last few years. Alva said Women in South Asia have played a pivotal role in the political arena.

She reminded that the world's first Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike who was elected from Sri Lanka and former Indian Prime Minister Srimathi Indira Gandhi, former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Begham Kaleeda Zia were great leaders.

Office bearers of the SLFP women's organization including Science and Technology Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Pushpa Rajapaksa and Southern Province Governor Kumari Balasuriya were among those present.