At a public meeting held at Medamulana, attended by representatives of women’s organizations from the Galle, Matara and Hambantota Districts, the President, Mahinda Rajapaksa recognized the initiatives of women activists in the sphere of self-employment. Selected trainee beauticians from among the participants at several Workshops organized by the Prof. G. L. Peiris Foundation and held in Tangalle, Ambalantota and Hambantota recently to train 2,500 unemployed women in the Hambantota District in self-employment careers in beauty culture were awarded gift parcels by the President.Prof. G. L. Peiris, Minister of Export Development and International Trade, Maithreepala Sirisena, Minister of Agriculture Development and Agrarian Services and Samantha Kumarasinghe, Chairman Nature’s Secrets (pvt) Ltd., also were present. The President hands over a gift to such a participant.