Special Women’s Day events organized by the Northern Provincial Council’s Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Rehabilitation, Social Services, Cooperatives, Food Supply and Distribution, Industries and Entrepreneurship Development, and Trade and Commerce were held with great distinction this morning – on Tuesday, 30 June 2026, at the Thiruvalluvar Cultural Centre in Jaffna.
Presided over by M. Nanthagopalan, Secretary to the Provincial Ministry of Women’s Affairs – Northern Province, the event was graced by Hon. Minister of Women and Child Affairs Saroja Savithri Paulraj as chief guest. Special guests included Hon. Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Marine Resources Ramalingam Chandrasekhar, Parliamentarian Hon. K. Ilankumaran, the Indian Deputy Consular Officer for Jaffna, and the Chief Secretary of the Northern Province, Thanuja Murugeson. Also present were the Secretary to the Governor, secretaries of the Ministries of Education and Local Government, Deputy Chief Secretaries for the Finance and Planning divisions, along with numerous senior officials and a large gathering of women from various fields.
Guests were welcomed in the traditional manner, and the event began auspiciously with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp. This was followed by a welcome dance performed by students of Jaffna Hindu Ladies’ College and a special cultural programme themed “Let’s Cherish Womanhood.” During the special addresses that followed, University of Jaffna Professor Mrs. Sivani Shanmugathas delivered a special address titled “Economic Freedom is Women’s Empowerment: Strengthening Rights, Equality, and Justice in a Time of Crisis.”
Hon. Parliamentarian K. Ilankumaran, speaking at the event, pointed out that women are major contributors to the country’s foreign exchange earnings. He noted that women’s contributions are immense across many spheres, as plantation workers in the hill country, as garment factory employees, and as migrant workers in Middle Eastern countries. He also stressed that women are being significantly affected by misleading content spread on social media for profit motives, and that such activities must be immediately curbed and regulated.
Hon. Minister R. Chandrasekhar, who spoke next, commended today’s chief guest, Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj, for holding the distinction of being the first Tamil woman to serve as a Cabinet Minister in Sri Lanka. He stated that they had taken office with a firm commitment to transforming the country’s political culture, and that changes toward this end were already being made. He referred to a recently circulated audio recording concerning an incident at a state institution, declaring that those who harass women would certainly be unmasked. He said the government is working to establish a permanent framework for women’s safety, and noted that in today’s context some parents, lacking social awareness, raise their children shielded from the outside world. He added that through the “Clean Sri Lanka” initiative, they aim to cleanse the impurities in people’s minds and build a socially conscious, safe society.
Chief guest Hon. Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj, addressing the gathering, praised the immense courage of the women of Jaffna as the true source of this land’s pride. She said that women entrepreneurs’ quality of life improves when they are economically empowered, and that the government has taken steps in this direction. She noted that even when men and women perform the same job, equal pay still does not exist today. She observed that the family circumstances of women working even in state institutions are often overlooked, and stressed the need to establish daytime childcare centres and elder care facilities at the divisional level to support working women. She further emphasized that dedicated protection homes should be established in every district for women affected by domestic violence.
Following the guest addresses, prizes were awarded to students who had excelled in various competitions. The event concluded on a moving note with a ceremony honouring women achievers who have made their mark across various fields of society, felicitated with ceremonial shawls(ponnadai).
