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Sri Lanka: Olcott, the Picketts and Buddhist women’s education [View all]
Vinod MOONESINGHE
Tuesday January 17, 2012
The genesis of Buddhist women's education in modern Sri Lanka goes back to March 24, 1889, when a group of women gathered at the Colombo headquarters of the Buddhist Theosophical Society. The BTS had been formed nine years before at the behest of Madame Helena Petrovna and Colonel Henry Steele Olcott.
It was unprecedented in the colony for women to gather in this manner, like men, to discuss matters of import - which in this case was the furtherance of education for Sinhalese women. The initiative seems to have been taken by Ms O. L. G. A. Weerakoon, who by all accounts was a livewire.
A week later, on March 30, an expanded group met again at the same location, and formed the Women's Education Society of Ceylon (Nari-shiksa-dhana Samagama), to promote the education of Buddhist women. The following were elected to the council:
The WES was the very first women's organization in Sri Lanka - the Ceylon Women's Union was only begun 15 years later. According to the Lucifer magazine, it offered ‘one broad platform where all women, irrespective of caste, may stand up and proclaim their sisterhood.’
http://www.dailynews.lk/2012/01/17/fea01.asp
Tuesday January 17, 2012
The genesis of Buddhist women's education in modern Sri Lanka goes back to March 24, 1889, when a group of women gathered at the Colombo headquarters of the Buddhist Theosophical Society. The BTS had been formed nine years before at the behest of Madame Helena Petrovna and Colonel Henry Steele Olcott.
It was unprecedented in the colony for women to gather in this manner, like men, to discuss matters of import - which in this case was the furtherance of education for Sinhalese women. The initiative seems to have been taken by Ms O. L. G. A. Weerakoon, who by all accounts was a livewire.
A week later, on March 30, an expanded group met again at the same location, and formed the Women's Education Society of Ceylon (Nari-shiksa-dhana Samagama), to promote the education of Buddhist women. The following were elected to the council:
President: OLGA Weerakoon; Vice-Presidents: Madelina Perera Dharma Gunawardana, A. de Livera, Dona Madelena; Secretary: E. Wijeysinghe; Assistant Secretary: Margaret E. de Silva; Treasurer: Isabella Dharma Gunawardana.
The WES was the very first women's organization in Sri Lanka - the Ceylon Women's Union was only begun 15 years later. According to the Lucifer magazine, it offered ‘one broad platform where all women, irrespective of caste, may stand up and proclaim their sisterhood.’
http://www.dailynews.lk/2012/01/17/fea01.asp
Interesting reading, I know at least one of our posters will find intriguing.
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