Economic liberalization and the changing role of Sinhalese women in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Macro-economic policy changes implemented by the United National Party government came into power in 1977, had a myriad of ramifications on every social institution in Sri Lanka. The new economic policies were directed towards a liberalized economy which intensely integrated the country's economy with the world economy. While the society and culture as a whole went through a massive change, this change was experienced in different ways by diverse groups within the country, depending on their social and cultural backgrounds. This social transformation had a unique impact on women. Women were increasingly included in the process of development, with increased opportunities for education, work, and other social involvements, opening up new avenues to be economically independent while liberating them from their oppressive conventional roles. Thus the new economic changes created a social structure which had potential for decreasing conventional forms of patriarchy. Nevertheless, the new social structure deprived women of traditional social support systems thus demanding their service within the household, incarcerating them within conventional gender roles. This thesis explores the impact of the new economic policies on Sinhalese women by comparing and contrasting the effects of these policies on two distinct groups: rural and urban women. Two hundred women in each location were sampled using a questionnaire and from this sample sixty women from each location were interviewed in depth. The effects of the changing economic policies on the areas of education,. work, marriage, family, politics and leisure activities were seen to have many different effects on rural as compared to urban women, with class adding a further important dimension.