CINGALESE LADY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22539, 2 October 1936, Page 3

CINGALESE LADY

LACE-MAKERS IN CEYLON Conferences of women being so much in the air just now, states a London writer, it seemed a most appropriate moment to meet Mrs. K. Vaithianathan, who is the secretary of Lanka Mahila Samati —otherwise the Women's Institutes in Ceylon. This lovely little Cingalese lady, dressed in her native costume, seemed almost an anomaly as she sat in an office at Ceylon House and in perfect English told mo about the conference in New York of the Associated Country Women of the World, from which she recently returned. She repeated to me her vivid picture of the "pear-shaped" island with its small village communities and comparatively small farms. It is—she explained—in such villages where most of the labour is resident that the Central Board is concentrating upon creating women's societies.

As a result of these efforts the rural women of Ceylon are turning out increasing quantities of hand-made lace and baskets, hats, mats and bags made of rush -and palm leaves. There has also been a revival of spinning and weaving. Most of these articles are made for export, of course.