VISAKHIANS IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Millennium woman of Sri Lanka
By Kamilka Malwatte
During the past few weeks while I was doing some background reading and preparation for this speech, I came across a few proverbs that I'd like to share with you.
First a Sri Lankan proverb
1. "A woman's brain cannot perceive anything further than the handle of the spoon".
A Japanese proverb
2. "A unmarried girl must obey her father, a married woman her husband and a widow her sons".
A Sri Lankan proverb
3. "He who listens to the advice of a woman is a fool" Sri Lanka
An American proverb
4. "A woman's place is in the home"
And finally, a Ghanaian proverb
5. "Do not tell your wife anything that cannot be said in public"
What these proverbs seem to reflect is that in societies ranging from American, to Japanese, to Ghanian, to our own Sri Lanka - women were traditionally perceived as second-class citizens by their own societies.
In spite of numerous laws and legislature brought into uplift the standing of women in society, such ingrained attitudes and paradigms are often hard to change.
As recently as 1976, a Judge Sutcliffe of the Old Bailey argued that
"It is a well known fact that women in particular and small boys are liable to be untruthful and invent stories"
While in 1988 the defence in a rape case went as far as to declare - quote
"All women are liars, it's known scientific fact"
As George Orwell put it in 'Animal Farm'
'All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others'
A few decades on from then, we reached the millennium.
An age in which communication systems have expanded rapidly and in doing so have shrunk the intangible boundaries of our world.
An age in which phrases like 'globalisation' the 'internet' and the 'global village' have become more than catch phrase and have come to affect the lives of all the world's citizens directly or indirectly.
An age in which millions of women worldwide have had to adopt to and move forward with changing circumstances.
Changing roles
And even as we come to redefine or reassess the changing roles and responsibilities of women, its important to note that our most basic and fundamental roles remain the same.
There is the girl child, the wife and the mother, as well as another role that does not fit neatly into these categories but is common to them all - the role of the working woman.
I'd like to approach the topic 'The Millennium Woman in Sri Lankan' through these roles.
1. Firstly what is the Sri Lankan girl child of the millennium like?
The immediate point that springs to mind is that she is educated or has access to education.
Increasing numbers of young girls are attending school regularly, a great number are also opting to pursue secondary education and then enter university or vocational training institutes.
The girl child of the millennium has more personal freedom, more extra curricular activities to participate in, diverse ways in which to occupy her time and more avenues of learning available to her.
She has access to a wealth of information via the internet, the television, the radio or printed media and is more aware of the world around her.
Thanks to awareness programmes, she is more aware of her right and how to exercise them.
Counselling services in schools and communities are a source of guidance and support.
She is already adept at time-management, balancing to varying degrees, schoolwork, domestic chores and extracurricular activities like Girl Guides, sports, drama or debating.
It is this foundation that produces the 'girl-child' who is and will become the woman of the millennium.
2. The millennium has also brought a range of positive changes for women in all fields of employment.
Across the job spectrum, women are asking for and getting better pay, their job benefits now equal those of their male colleagues and more avenues of employment are open to them.
We have women in aviation, computer programming and the armed forces
British airways recently announced its first ever all female crew.
And closer to home, Sri Lanka recently had its First female rugby referee
While our armed forces have women on the front line all events that would have been hear unimaginable a scant few decades ago.
Looking around us, in society, we see the great strides women have taken in every field. In this very room today we recognize many 'Zonta women of Achievement' all leaders in their chosen fields.
3. The millennium woman's increased earning capacity and economic independence has also impacted her role as wife.
With her new found economic independence, she now has a greater stake in and say in influencing decisions that affect her.
She no longer need depend solely on her husband and now as an equal partner is able to take a more active role in the economic affairs of her household.
Increased awareness of women's rights among women and men has led to decreased rates of espousal abuse and battered women are no longer as reluctant to speak out against violence in the home.
A support network to non-governmental organizations and a more effective legal framework help safeguard the rights of women within their own homes.
4. And then we come to the role of a woman as a mother. The mothers of the millennium are more educated, more literate, informed and aware than ever before and they are able to use these skills in caring for and raising their children.
They have increased access to proper medical services and adequate nutrition for themselves and their children, more avenues of education are available to her, and she is able to make more informed choices regarding the health, well being, educational needs and future of her children.
There is more recognition and respect given to the invaluable role she plays.
This advancement in the status of women is reflected worldwide. A demographic finding from the United Nations Decade for Women shows that -
* Women not only constitute half the world's population but also
* Perform two thirds of the world's work
* One third of households around the world are now headed by women.
However, there are still glaring inequalities among them, the fact that women receive only one tenth of the world's income and own less than one-hundredth of its property.
Yet by and large, the status of women has shown considerable improvement-with several factors contributing to this.
Among them
1. Increased access to education and information worldwide had led to women becoming more aware of issues that concern them.
2. Globalisation - in spite of some negative effects - has also opened up new markets and created new and larger sector of employment.
3. Improved health and nutrition standards and awareness have contributed to a healthier, more active population.
4. A host of NGOs and support organizations concerned with the status of women now provide an effective support network while simultaneously educating women on rights and how to exercise them.
5. More stringent laws protecting women are being introduced and implemented.
Furthermore women are getting directly involved in policy making contributing to formulate and implement such laws.
6. Many aid donors, when providing aid now specify the need for direct participation and involvement of the women of the recipient communities, thus enabling women to take a more active role in directing the utilization of aid.
7. Further women's portrayal in the media has also improved. Stories about successful businesswomen are becoming regular features in the mass media.
In India women's scientists, writers and artists are beginning to be recognized.
In Africa and our own Sri Lanka, female migrant workers are popular features in the local press.
All these factors have contributed to help change both the attitudes of society towards women as well as women's paradigm of themselves.
I began with a few proverbs that seemed to reflect then societies' attitude to women....
While continuing my preparation I found a few more sayings that seem to echo the new, improved and more 'millennium' attitude towards women.
1. A woman's place is in the house - and the Senate
2. Women make policy, not coffee
3. The best man for a job may be a woman
A woman has to be twice as good as a man to get a job ...fortunately this is not too difficult.
5. There can be no free men until there are free women.
I'd like to conclude with an anecdote quoted by Dr. Nafis Sadik, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund at a UN event organized for International Women's Day 1991.
"When the United Kingdom's former foreign secretary, Sir Geoffrey Howe, was visiting Pakistan during Benazir Bhutto's term as Prime Minister, his wife asked a little boy what he would like to be when he grew up."
'A truck driver may be' mused the child. Surprised at his modest ambitions Lady Howe persisted
'But surely you would like to go into politics, may be even become Prime Minister?'
Back came the answer 'No, that's women's work!'
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