Sri Lanka

Mothers in Society: Then and Now

In traditional society, the divide between wealthy and poor families, and their attitude to women, was marked. In legend, Sita, the mythical princess from the Ramayana, is kidnapped to Sri Lanka by Ravanna, the King of the Demons. Although Sri Lanka is now overwhelmingly Buddhist, the influence of the Hindu epic continues in many parts of the island, especially in the mainly Tamil north. The oldest known purpose-built hospital in the world dates from the 4th century B.C.E., and is located at Mihintale, near the city of Anuradhapura.

It has different buildings for people with varying ailments, which would have clearly helped mothers in childbirth who needed to be isolated from patients with diseases. The arrival of the Dutch in the 17th century resulted in a number of small hospitals being built for Europeans, with the British building the General Civil Hospital in Colombo, the capital. The De Zoysa Maternity Hospital and the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children, both connected with the University of Colombo, have played an important role in the lives of many mothers.

Many families in Sri Lanka still have some of the ancient and medieval beliefs in that the body is made from air, fire (bile), and water (phlegm), and the imbalance between them results in illnesses. Many locals still use traditional cures for minor ailments. As a result, for many villagers, the mother gives birth in the family home, helped by the presence of members of her extended family, especially her own mother, mother-in-law, and aunts. The baby is then nurtured in the family home with their [Page 1160]help. This system is supplemented with midwives who help with the birth of many babies in the country, and a hospital system in the cases of difficult births, or those from wealthier or urban families. From colonial times, most Europeans, as well the wealthier local families, had household servants, and often a maid designated to looking after small children, often also serving as a wet nurse.

The recent fighting during the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s has resulted in much damage to the country's infrastructure in the north of the island, and has also diverted much-needed resources from medical services and education. In spite of this, Sri Lanka has had a good record in its school retention rates, and there is a policy of sex education in schools for students aged 17–18. Many women in Sri Lanka have had paid work—in colonial times, women worked as servants and on tea plantations—but Sri Lanka has also had a long history of prominent women in politics. These including Sirimavo Bandaranaike, prime minister from 1960–65, 1970–77, and 1994–2000; and her daughter, Chandrika Kumaratunga, prime minister in 1994, and president from 1994–2005.

Sri Lanka Vital Statistics

Sri Lanka has a female life expectancy of 76.12 years, a birth rate of 15.51 per 1,000, and an infant mortality rate of 13.97 per 1,000 live births.

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