Govt gives priority to women, child welfare - minister

Nimal Wijesinghe, Anuradhapura Additional District group

Women's Affairs and Child Development Minister Tissa Karaliyedda presenting a new motorbike to a female development officer. UNDP Representative in Sri Lanka Lene K Christiansen, Ministry Secretary Erick Diyappaarachchi and North Central Provincial Council member Kalyani Karalliyadda were among those present.

“The world is focusing more attention on women and children at present in view of the increasing level of violence against women and incidents of child abuse. In this context, it is highly commendable that President Mahinda Rajapaksa has initiated many programmes and courses of action to protect women and children from any harm being caused to them”, said Child Development and Womens' Affairs Minister Tissa Karalliyadda.

The minister was addressing a ceremony at the launch of the first phase of a programme to hand over motorcycles to field officers of the Ministry, including Women Development Officers, held at the Anuradhapura Nuwara Wewa Rest House premises on September 25.

Under this programme being funded by the United Nations Population Development Fund, 50 motorbikes worth Rs. eight million were handed over to Women Development Officers in the Northern and Eastern Provinces and Nuwara Eliya, Anuradhapura Polonnaruwa, Badulla and Puttalam, to perform their field duties more efficiently. Minister Karalliyadda said Women Development Officers serving in difficult areas which lack proper transport facilities and those in another 76 Divisional Secretariat divisions would be provided motorbikes free of charge under Phase 2 of the UNDP funded programme.

The minister said President Mahinda Rajapaksa has made it a priority to improve and provide more facilities for Women Affairs activites and Child Care facilities.

“Many programmes which are beneficial to women have been introduced and a proposal for releasing allocations to provide 1,000 new motorbikes to all categories of the Ministry's field officers staff has been made,” he said.

Norwegian ambassador Gretei Lochan said the literacy rate of Lankan women which stood at 97 percent is praiseworthy and it is something to make all women proud of.

She said it is very encouraging to see the Sri Lanka government doing its utmost to uplift the status of women, especially those in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.