Caring for children and obtaining funding to engage in self-employment are the main problems confronting women in seeking job opportunities, Colombo Mayor Rosy Senanayake said.
“The female workforce in the formal job sector stood at 35 percent of the total workforce today. If this is to be increased at least to 40 percent, we should provide facilities necessary for women to keep a balance between her family and work,” the Mayor said.
She was speaking at the opening of a three-storeyed building of the Colombo Traffic Wardens’ Administrative Centre.
The Administrative Centre which was earlier maintained in a 65-year-old building in Maradana belonging to the Colombo Municipal Council, will be shifted to this new building.
Senanayake said women had to face various difficulties to obtain credit facilities to start a self-employment venture. This was a common problem encountered by almost all women from Point Pedro to Dondra. This dissuaded most women from applying for credit facilities.
Now these conditions have been simplified by the government on the initiative of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. It was women who mostly earned criticism from society. That is one of the reasons why the female workforce had to be increased and inclined towards the political and administrative sectors, the Mayor said.
Senanayake who vowed to drive efficiency into the Colombo Municipal service, said she would enable the entire female workforce in the council to perform their duties without let or hindrance.
Chief Whip of the governing UNP group in the council U.L. Titus Perera, Opposition Leader in the council M.H. Manzil, Councillors Saman Abeygoonaratne and Roy Bogahawatta and other officials were also present on the occasion.
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