More Lankan women are becoming dependent in old age, a survey finds
I go begging and get around 1,500 rupees a day; with that, I buy things and cook, and once the money finishes, I beg again. No one invites us for anything, as we are old and poor. We must buy medicine, too, but we don’t buy it all at once as we don’t have the money.”
This is the story of 62-year-old Muhiya from Puttalam. She had no access to education and got married to a fisherman when she was 20. She has four children, none of whom supports her or her husband anymore. Muhiya is dependent on the money she receives from begging and Samurdhi for her and her husband’s survival.
The Centre for Social Concerns recently did an assessment on the ‘status of older women’ under the Asia Foundation’s Women’s Voice and Leadership Project. The assessment brought to light the increasing feminization of ageing in Sri Lanka and its implications and key issues.
To read the full article on “More Lankan women are becoming dependent in old age” written by Renishka Fernando, click on the link below.
