Women in the North and the East after the War -Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri (Sri Lankan Chair- South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University)

Traditional social structures such as caste prejudices and patriarchal dominance appear to be re-strengthening in the context of the re-ordering of the Tamil society in the post-war situation in Sri Lanka. It has been argued that these prejudices were somewhat weakened during the wartime but reappear after the war. This discussion focuses on the plight of Tamil women in this new context. It will especially focus on the rejuvenation of the traditional practice of dowry, which is a major burden on women.