The government has adapted legislation to strengthen women’s participation in governance and the next objective is to develop the women entrepreneurship to increase their participation in industries and production, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena says in his message to mark the International Women’s Day today.
“The final objective behind all these programs is to ensure the female of the country amounting half the entire population to be an equal partner of a nation which possesses a high social development,” he says.
Full text of President’s message:
Women enjoy the unique position of ensuring sustainability of human civilization with their reproductive ability and were honored since ancient times. The modern cultural human being acknowledges that she has a more social value than that significant biological factor.
I am pleased to send this message of greetings to the International Women’s Day celebrated by the entire world community to make that belief into a common social reality, while extending my best wishes to all the efforts taken to ensure the dignity of women that she is richly deserves.
Sri Lanka is a country, which granted the franchise to women even before many developed Western countries. As a result of this developed social background, Sri Lanka was able to produce the world’s first woman Prime Minister as well as the first Executive President.
I am pleased that we are far ahead of many developing countries in granting equal educational and professional rights to women. The right to education has paved the way for women in our country to secure highest positions in the administrative system of the country.
Furthermore, in recent times legislations have been adapted to strengthen women’s participation in governance, and we were able to make this a reality at the recently held Local Government elections.
Our next objective is to develop female entrepreneurship and to increase the female participation in industries and production. Thus, special loan schemes and entrepreneur training programmes have been activated in government and non- governmental level. The final objective behind all these programmes is to ensure the female of the country amounting half the entire population to be an equal partner of a nation which possesses a high social development.
I believe the theme Roads to development – Unveiled by her strength” in this International Women’s day celebration would usher in an important debate on these progressive social development objectives.
I offer all the programmes organized with the aim of achieving these important objectives every success and offer my best wishes to all those women who participate in them.
