Lankan women suffer many hardships – rights body

A women’s rights organisation in Sri Lanka says statistics have revealed that there are 89,000 widows in the Northern and Eastern Provinces due to the war.

Steering committee member of the Women for Rights organisation, Dr. V. Sarojini Savithri says that 12,000 of the widows were below the age of 40. 

The organisation noted that while there are 49,000 widows in the North and East, there are 1.5 million female migrant workers and a large number of women employed in the estate sector.

“All these women suffer immense hardships and their children are also greatly affected,” Convener of the organisation, Dr. Chandani Karunathilaka said.  According to the organisation, many women’s rights organisations have failed to speak for women’s rights at the International Human Rights Day that fell on 10 December.

Dr. Karunathilaka said the Women for Rights would fill this vacuum by uniting women from all ethnic groups under one banner to win their rights. (Colombo Page)