19 July 2018 12:00 am
Member of the Western Provincial Council Jayantha De Silva, who expressed concern over the country’s failure to manage female labour, pointed out that the agriculture based economy that existed about sixty years ago had given pride of place to woman.
De Silva made these comments when addressing a ceremony where certificates were awarded to a group of 40 women of low income families. The group successfully completed the Beauticians’ Course conducted under the Pragna Pradeepa Concept. He pointed out that woman in the past had played an important role when the economy depended largely on traditional agriculture.
“The world today is entirely different from that of the past. Today any area of economy is interwoven with knowledge and professional skills. Vast new fields have been opened up for individuals who have undergone vocational training and possess professional skills in some trade or the other. However, it’s a matter of serious concern that women in the country are facing hardship for want of an effective mechanism for them to gain professional skills in a field of their choices,”he said.
“Thousands of unskilled women have been provided with employment in the Middle East. They face hardship, clash with the employers and quite often die. There is much sorrow in their families when they receive such information. Pragna Pradeepa Concept focuses its attention on the predicament of women going abroad in search of employment without adequate training. This is why Pragna Pradeepa Concept implemented a scheme to provide them with a professional training. A group of 40 women have completed the Beauticians’ Course and received a recognized certificate,”added De Silva.
“They will be able to supplement their family income through self-employment or to find employment abroad. It’s a laborious task to maintain a family at present. The cost of food, clothes, medical treatment, medicine and the children’s education have been increasing in leaps and bounds. The woman who followed the beauticians’ course will be able to supplement the family economy through self-employment. It is very important that they make use of their training and practise their trade or else possessing a certificate alone would not serve any purpose,” provincial councillor said.
Zonal Director of Education R. Wijesinghe, Training Consultant Sumitra Nicholas, Secretary of the Pragna Pradeepa Concept Deshabandu A. Sumith Perera and several MMCs were present at the occasion.