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Surveys have found that many Sri Lankan women, particularly those in lower income groups, lack awareness of their economic and legal rights, whereas there is considerable awareness across the genders and economic groups on civil and political rights. Women’s ability to assert economic and legal rights is constrained by their income, and by social and cultural factors. In some cases, women do not enjoy equal rights to inherit property. The male-female disparities are most pronounced in the informal sector of the economy, where labour laws and safeguards are not enforced, and no trade unions exist. Women often don’t receive the same wages as men for the same work; benefits such as maternity leave are rare or non-existent; and there is no security of employment. With more women engaged in the informal sector, the denial or violation of these rights becomes a major concern.
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Oba Nodutu Eya is a 5-part television series that tries to break this complacence and uncover the reality surrounding women working in the informal sector. It was inspired by the Women’s |
Economic and Legal Rights (WELR) Project, and focuseson women in two sectors -- the coir industry in the South, and the Mahaweli settlements in the Dry Zone.The series uses a mixture of interviews with women workers, interviews with experts and background commentary. In three programmes, short drama segments have been included to further illustrate the points under discussion. While these programmes do not offer comprehensive surveys of the situation, they do provide useful glimpses of how economic and legal rights apply at the grassroots. They raise broader concerns, and point out changes that society needs to make in order to ensure that women can enjoy their economic and legal rights.
The series benefited from advice from the Centre for Women’s Research (CENWOR) and Siyath Foundation. It was sponsored by the Asia Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The series was broadcast on Rupavahini (national television) in August 2000.
Director: Inoka Mahadivulwewa
Executive Producer: Nalaka Gunawardene
The five programmes of the series are available on one VHS tape, priced Rs. 1,000
Tamil voice-dub and English sub-titled versions are also available. The full series in each language also costs Rs. 1,000.
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