President Mahinda Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka Issues a Special Message to Mark the International Women’s Day

President Mahinda Rajapaksa, in a special message to mark the International Women’s Day, said that much progress has been made in terms of recognition of women and the enshrining of rights, but cautioned that much more still needs to be done.

The full text of the President’s message is as follows:

I am pleased to send this message on International Women’s Day 2008, which marks the centenary of the day in 1908 when 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights.

Although women in Sri Lanka have made considerable progress in the recognition and achievement of their rights, there is much more to be done to ensure true equality. The movement for women’s rights in Sri Lanka has largely kept abreast of the progress of women’s struggles elsewhere, and our women have gained some achievements such as full voting rights even before their sisters in the West.

The theme for IWD this year “Shaping Progress” is timely in the attention it draws to the need to build on the progress already made by women to move towards further and necessary achievements. On this day, it will be useful to think of the areas in which more action is still needed such as equal pay for equal work, women’s education and health, and violence against women.

IWD and its related events in the struggle for women’s advancement, diligently reminds society of the need for continued vigilance and action to ensure that women’s equality is gained and maintained in all aspects of life. This can be furthered by the understanding that achievements of women’s rights can only be assured by success in strengthening and safeguarding all basic human rights, of which women’s rights are an integral part.

I wish all success to the many events organized to mark International Women’s Day 2008 and to the struggle for true equality for women.

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