This study deals with the issue of women’s role in the plantation trade unions in Sri Lanka and attempts to identify the causes for the non- existence of women’s leadership in the plantation trade union movement. The plantation structure with its hierarchical arrangements implanted since British colonial times , has been and is indeed the most patriarchal institution in the country today compared to the other sectors.

ISD to look at the multi-faceted impact of globalization with in the region. We began to work towards organizing a preliminary  Regional Symposium drawing on the regional links we had already forged. It took us almost two years to achieve this aim and we chose the broad them of ‘Globalisation , Peace and Development: Challenges to Reconstruction.’  The Symposium was held on 5^th and 6^th April 2001 at Digana, Kandy. ISD invited Prof. Shanmugaratnam and some other activists and scholars from the region as speakers.