Awareness program on gender sensitivity

An awareness program was held on gender sensitivity to provide an understanding about these issues for the citizen forum members in the fisher cooperative society’s center on 29 of August 2014 in Trincomalee district. The  participants were able to shape their knowledge about the gender sensitivity.

There should be a balance between the woman and man in the family but most of Asian countries have the male based society. Same situation can be seen in the family even in Sri Lanka. There should be a good understanding about the responsibilities of man and women in the family. The rights which belong to man should have to women as the same situation and the same ways.

Women should have a right participate to the decision making process in the family and women should be given those opportunities in same quantity in the family, community as we as in the country. There should be good planning process in the family.

A process should be developed insure the rights of man and women in the family. The family as well as government should concern to provide the same education opportunities to girls and boys. The development of technology and communication has influenced to women negatively. Most of women who lived in the complicit areas faced many difficulties because of being a woman.

Mrs. Kamala Diuk who is an experience trainer engaged with the program to share her knowledge and experience with participants. Her concerned about the society influence to the girl, socialization process of the woman and religion and the woman. 

Awareness program on women contribution for the development

An awareness program on women contribution for the development was organized to the citizen forum members in the fisher cooperative society center on 29 August 2014 in Trincomalee district.  Madam Vasanthi Jeyaraj who is the Rural Women Development Officer in the local government participated to the program as the resource person.

She shared the knowledge about many areas related to the women’s involvement of the development in the country. There was a discussion about what  the responsibilities of man for developing the woman of the society. There are 52 percentages of the women in the population in the country. Women contributes by 5 percent to the development in different ways such as working overseas, working in garment sector as well as in the tea state sector in the country. 

Resource person improved the understanding of the participant about the relationship between the woman and politic. According to the political areas of the country, we are unable satisfy about the participation of women to the politic. Women have participated by 4 percent of the local government. That is not a balance percentage comparatively with men participation to the politic. Women have different limitations to engage with the politic. 

Mrs. Vasanthi Jeyaraj opened the mind of the citizen forum members in different ways on the themes of woman and low, women rights and role and responsibility of the woman for development of the country.

Awareness program for the CF on development policies

An awareness program was conducted at the center of fisher cooperative society on development polices of the government   on 21^st of July 2014 in Trincomalee. Mr. S. Niroshan who is the lecture of university shared his knowledge with the participants. He explained the theoretical background of allocating finance for the development projects and the way of having decisions about the development policies. The budget of the country is the most important component to allocate finance for every development project. Every allocation should come through the parliament process. That is the legal procedure to get decisions related to development projects.

People have a right participate to the decision making process. Representatives of the people should have a responsibility about the people’s expectations on the development in the country. There was a 6% economic development before end of the war in the country. It has changed as 7.8% according to the existing statistics.

The government has concerned main 5 areas to be developed. Developing tourism industry, developing aviation sector, harbors, power plants and industries related to the sea. Fisheries sector and re exports sections. 

There was a deep discussion about the violation of people’s rights on development process. Many examples were emphasized by the participants for violation of the development rights of the people. There are many development orphans because of the unjust decisions in the country. 

Finally people realized that people should organize to make sure the people’s rights. Although the government indicates different statistics about the development of the country benefits of the development does not receive to the general people as well. 

         

Citizen forum concerns about the budget preparation

An awareness program was conducted to the citizen forum in Fisher Cooperative Society Center on 20^th of June 2014 in Trincomalee. The purpose of organizing the awareness program was to enhance the knowledge of citizen forum members over budget preparation, budget circle  and people participation of local government’s budget preparation  because citizen forum concerns to submit their proposals for the annual budget of prodeshiya sabha. It concerned to shape and updates the knowledge about those areas of the citizen forum. 

Mr. Subramaniyam, the former Assistance General of Local Government intervened as the resource person to share his knowledge and experience related that subject with the citizen forum members. The former Assistance General of Local Government explained the existing situation of preparing budget of the Pradeshiya Sabha comparing the existed aspect because he was one of chief responsible officers related to the local government. He emphasized the important people participate to prepare the annual budget of Local Government as the people’s right. About 23 members took part to the awareness meeting as 11 male and 12 female.

We always try to develop and shape the knowledge of citizen forum members about various issues related to local government. The citizen forum often concerns participate to the process of preparing annual budget of Pradeshiya Sabha submitting people’s proposals. Members actively participated to the program.