WUNRN
Women's Feature Service
India - New Delhi
By Vijita Fernando
Women comprise
a higher proportion of this rapidly ageing society, both in rural and urban
settings - the highest being in the rural sector, at 53 per cent and the lowest
in the estate sector, at 48 per cent.
With the
traditional social safety nets gradually vanishing, ageing poses special
problems for older women. Ever since the economic transformation of the country
began in the late 1970s, there has been a major change in the societal
structure. More and more women are stepping out of homes to work, especially in
the overseas domestic service sector on long-term contracts. Therefore, the
traditional extended family system has broken down. And with life expectancy
today at 72 years for females and 69 for males, longevity itself poses problems
for both women and men.
Until a few
years back there was no clear policy or strategy for the elderly, but the
government is now trying to make up for lost time. The first major thrust
towards a national policy for elders in
Now the
government has joined hands with the Forum on Ageing, a consortium of NGOs, to
ensure that the elderly are provided with the basic care they need and deserve.
The Forum is the
only Sri Lankan organisation devoted exclusively to addressing the needs of
senior citizens - by giving them a voice, ensuring the protection of their
rights and helping society recognise their worth and contribution. "We
want to see the seniors participate in national development. For this we
promote awareness of their rights through media programmes and lobby with the
authorities," informs Venetia Gamage, a pioneering member of the Forum.
According to V.
Jegarajasingam, Secretary of the Ministry of Social Services and Social
Welfare, the main objective of the government policy is to prepare the aged for
a productive and fulfilling life - economically, physically, socially and
spiritually. The strategies envisaged for this include making available geriatric
and mental health services, providing domestic and nursing care within the
home, pre-retirement planning, skills development and part-time employment.
Towards this
end, the Forum has implemented some useful programmes. One of these is the intensive
training of caregivers, where they are taught techniques of moving bedridden
old people, ways to help prevent ailments like bed sores, besides learning to
administer medicines and take care of the nutritional aspects.
Manel
Abeysekera, Chairperson, Forum on Ageing, says, "We also have regular
classes on retirement issues and leisure pursuits as well as legal and medical
assistance. We see future benefits in developing a system within which the
elderly can be useful by holding small jobs in offices. This is very important
in order to prevent them from feeling isolated and unwanted."
It was Gamage
who organised the elders of a slum community in Pamankada, a
While all these
initiatives are not specific to women, the National Committee on Women (NCW),
as a policy agency, and the Women's Bureau, as its implementing arm, have
studied the national policies from a gender perspective and implemented several
programmes involving elderly women, mainly in far-flung rural areas. Centres
have been established in several places in the Eastern and Southern Provinces
where women engage in crafts they are familiar with, such as lace-making and
mat-weaving. The handmade goods are easily sold in their respective areas and
the women are assisted in marketing them. "In this way, they occupy
themselves gainfully and also socialise with others, which means a lot to
lonely women. We also have plans to organise such activities for women in
conflict areas and among Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in welfare
centres," says Mana Gunatilleke, Executive Director, NCW.
The looming
increase in the ageing population will cause economic difficulties for
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