Govt. to help households headed by women in north

Monday, 6 April 2015 00:05 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Government has taken a decision to establish a national centre for the upliftment of households headed by women in Kilinochchi. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe initiated this decision on a request made by the people of the North to establish this centre in their area since many widows lived in Kilinochchi.

It is a well established fact that those who suffer the most during a war are women and children. In the North alone there are nearly 50,000 families that are headed by women. They are made destitute due to their inability to provide food, accommodation and educational needs for their children. The Rs. 35,000 loan provided to them to develop a livelihood was not at all sufficient and it was revealed that the loan was used for the sustenance of their daily lives. Banks too hesitate to grant them loans, hence there is a necessity to provide them with help to generate income for their livelihood. Illegal liquor, drugs, abuse and sexual violence are serious problems women face in society today. There is a shortage of female police officers to record complaints and take legal action against the offenders and as a result justice is delayed or entirely denied. The Prime Minister believes that the creation of this national centre for the households headed by women in Kilinochchi will lay the foundation to solve a grave human problem that has bothered a segment of society. Based on the report presented by the United Nations on families headed by women, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe has appointed a committee to make recommendations to improve the social and economic conditions of such families. He has nominated Attorney Shanthini Abimanasingham as the Chairperson of this committee. The ministries of Women Affairs, Policy Planning and Economic Affairs, Children and Youth and Cultural Affairs will jointly provide resources to implement this program, while the Rehabilitation Ministry too will provide necessary assistance.