Conference on Women and migration in South Asia, Colombo, 2009

SASNET co-organised an international workshop on ”Women and migration in South Asia. Health and Social Consequences” that was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka 9–11 February 2009. The workshop was organised by SASNET in collaboration with the University of Sri Jayewardenepura (SJP) in Colombo, and the Division of International Maternal and Child Health (IMCH) at Uppsala University. Researchers in the field were invited from all over the South Asia region and from Swedish institutions. SASNET’s director Anna Lindberg and deputy director Lars Eklund both participated in the workshop.

The focus was on the consequences of migration for women, their children and families in South Asia. The themes to be covered were the effects of such migration with respect to: social consequences, gender perspective, economy at family level, health including sexually transmitted diseases, and child development and psychology. See the full programme for the workshop.

The workshop was also the first effort to realise the concept of SASNET sub-networks, put forward at the informal meeting by SASNET’s South Asian Reference Group held in Delhi in November 2007 (more information), later decided upon by SASNET’s board. One of the reference group members, Dr. Kumudu Wijewardena (photo to the right) from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura (SJP) in Colombo chaired the Colombo workshop. A separate meeting was held with SASNET’s South Asian Reference Group on Tuesday 10 February. Read a report from the meeting.

Ahmed Ali Maniku and Naseema Mohamed.

 On his way to Sri Lanka, Lars Eklund also visited the Maldives for two days, and met the  Minister of State for Education, Dr. Ahmed Ali Maniku; and Ms. Naseema Mohamed, Special Advisor to  the Dept. of History, National Centre for Linguistic and Historic research in Male. Read Lars’ February  2009 report from Maldives.

 Anna Lindberg on the other hand proceeded to Kerala, India after participating in the Colombo workshop. She participated in discussions about the development of the new so-called Sustainable Kerala Network, a Swedish South Asian Network on Sustainable Development, initiated by Prof. Baboo Nair, Lund University. The meeting was held at Kerala University in Thiruvananthapuram on 21 February 2009. Read Anna’s report from the meeting.