Persistent Patriarchy: Women Workers on Sri Lankan Plantations

__Abstract__ The early suffragists in the United States had decried the “prolonged slavery of woman” as the “darkest page in human history” with one of the leaders, Susan B. Anthony, stating on Independence Day in 1876 that “Universal manhood suffrage, by establishing an aristocracy of sex, imposes upon the women of this nation a more absolute and cruel despotism than monarchy; in that, woman finds a political master in her father, husband, brother, son” (Stanton et al 1887). While countries all over the world have witnessed progress in gender equality and gender rights since that period, the recent UNDP Human Development Report of 2014 has acknowledged that there is still “no country with perfect gender equality”.1 In Sri Lanka, women on plantations experience much gender discrimination and many gender disadvantages, being ‘slaves’ to men who themselves are ‘slaves’

Plantation Patriarchy and Structural Violence: Women Workers in Sri Lanka

__Abstract__ Plantation production began in Sri Lanka in the early 19th century under British colonial rule, when the government provided financial incentives and infrastructural support for the commercialisation and export of agricultural crops in line with promoting laissez-faire capitalism. Motivated by the possibility of making high profits, British entrepreneurs, including several officials, took up the large-scale cultivation of initially coffee, and then subsequently, tea, rubber and coconut. Keen to minimise their costs of labour, the planters recruited workers from neighbouring districts of the Madras Presidency in south India where there were large numbers badly affected by the widespread famine and indebtedness in the region. The spread of plantation production in the 19th and 20th centuries resulted in a more permanent workforce, constituting the single largest and organised segment of the working class in the country. While women formed a small proportion of the early pattern of migration, their numbers subsequently increased and, by the 20th century, they comprised half the now permanent workforce on the plantations

Natesa Aiyar and Meenachi Ammal: Pioneers of Trade Unionism and Feminism on The Plantations

Natesa Aiyar and Meenachi were labour activists, politicians and visionaries who used their the oratory and organisational skills, to mobilise the workers to struggle mobilise for better working conditions and wages, as well citizenship rights for all women and men on the plantations. exploitative conditions but he also emphasised the need to provide higher wages to women as well as to ensure children’s right to education

Generation and forecasting of monsoon rainfall data

Generation and forecasting of monsoon rainfall dat

WHY DOES TRANSMISSION LICENSEE SHOULD HAVE BULK SUPPLY TRANSACTION ACCOUNT IN VERTICALLY INTEGRATED UTILITY IN MONOPOLISTIC ELECTRICITY MARKET OF SRI LANKA

Sri Lanka has monopolistic electricity market dominated by Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) in all three aspects of electricity i.e. Generation, transmission and distribution. The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) is the regulatory authority for the electricity sector. PUCSL has informed CEB for establishment of an effective and transparent mechanism to carry out Bulk Supply Transaction Account (BSTA) for implementation of a transparent Tariff Regime. However still CEB has not agreed to establish the BSTA. Since this is an issue where both parties are arguing advantages and disadvantages it was studied qualitatively to figure out the reasons and solution. Hence the objective of the study is to reason out the importance of BSTA and to identify the obstacles of establishing BSTA. We interviewed Director General PUCSL, Transmission Licensee and Distribution licensees of CEB, Lanka electricity Company officials, Donor Agencies and independent experts. It was revealed that the reasons highlighted by the advantages of having BSTA are improvement of efficiency, monitoring by the management on functions and sound financial situation of utility and the counter arguments made by Senior officials of CEB are at present CEB has separate accounting system for transactions, threat of unbundling, no legal provision to do it. However, under the existing legal framework there is no requirement to establish separate physical bank accounts for each licensee of CEB, considering the reasons explained by both parties it can be concluded that implementation of BSTA is important to improve the effective and transparent financial system in the CEB. But it is necessary to have clear legal provisions. However, BSTA is an integral part of tariff methodology. Hence it is necessary to have good tariff methodology for the sector to ensure the financial viability of the utilities