Pri's blog

Gender Dimensions of the Millennium Developmebt Goals in Sri Lanka I was one of three speakers at the launch of the UNDP’s “Gender Dimensions of the Millennium Development Goals in Sri Lanka” volume. The publication was researched and written by a team from CENWOR (Centre for Women’s Research http://www.cenwor.lk/ ). The other two speakers were Dr Anila Dias Bandaranaike, former Director of Statistics and Assistant Governor at the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, and Dr Pat Alailima, a former Director General of Planning. Distinguished company. My remit was to talk about Goals 3 and 7 in all of 10 minutes – so here, not quite verbatim, is what I said. I began by congratulating the writers, researchers and compilers of the report. [Though I didn’t say it, I did think while I was reading it “trust the women to be realistic rather than euphoric about Sri Lanka’s much lauded social indicators and gender equality achievements”!] I also congratulated the UNDP for putting out an eye-catching and at...

I think I am fast becoming the UNDP's MDG favourite! Was asked to talk this time at the launch of the "Gender Dimensions of the Millennium Development Goals in Sri Lanka" publication, researched and written by CENWOR (Centre for Women's Research). The other speakers were Anila Dias Bandaranaike and Pat Alailima. Unfortunately the only man invited to the head table to speak, Dr D S Jayaweera, Head of the National Council for Economic Development (NCED) was called away to attend to more important things, so there was a bunch of females talking to a largely female audience, who true to form raised some interesting questions - watch this space for what I said! While you are waiting, did anyone tell you the story about the multilateral agency that has its senior officers checking the minutae details of consulting firms' expense claims to the level of asking the firm to explain why they served 30 sandwiches at a workshop where there were only seven participants? The ...