Child Development and Women’s Affairs Minister’s message:

Rally round against harassment of women

The time has come for all forces to come under a single banner for building every capacity and knowledge in women in whatever the form they represent to acquire the dignity they once crowned by removing all sorts of harassment and burdens, Child Development and Women’s Affairs Minister Tissa Karaliyadda said in a message to mark international Women’s Day.

The message:

I consider it as a fortune shared by all to celebrate this year’s Women’s Day with the whole Sri Lankan women together under the timely theme of “Her knowledge and Strength to Develop the Nation.”

At this juncture, I have to mention with sorrow that nobody was so battered by the three decade long war scenario other than Sri Lankan women.

I take this opportunity again to stress that the Government led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa having well-understood the volume shared by women in development drives who make majority of the population, has taken action to open all doors to knowledge based modern technology for our women who has a rich record of long history of dignity.

In addition, programs on self-employment training for empowering women at regional level, provision of credit facilities and equipment needed for self-employment, conducting trade fairs for women produces, common amenity allocations such as housing aids as well as life skill development, domestic violence preventive measures and social empowering such as counselling services have been conducted.

I am proud to announce on this first day of Women’s followed by my appointment as the Minister in charge that long-term development programs such as five-year Action Plan for women are being underway in this year.