Plans are underway to revise the minimum age limit of children left behind when women go abroad for work from 2 years to the previous limit of 5 years, State Minister for Women and Child Affairs Geeta Kumarasinghe announced.
State Minister Kumarasinghe said steps have been initiated to collect data at the Divisional Secretariat level to ascertain the number of mothers with children under 5 years who have migrated abroad.
She further said that plans are also underway to install CCTV cameras in all passenger transport service buses, aiming to reduce incidents of violence against women.
The State Minister said measures are being taken to inform all Provincial Governors, the Minister of Transport, the National Transport Commission, and the Provincial Road Passenger Transport Authority to enhance the safety of women in public passenger transport services.
“Moreover, it is anticipated that the installation of cameras in public passenger transport services will contribute to reducing violence against women.
“As a result, our emphasis has been on submitting a proposal to the relevant authorities to make the installation of cameras a mandatory license condition for passenger transport service buses in their annual licensing process, she said.
State Minister Geeta Kumarasinghe also announced the commencement of a program to provide a complete morning meal for all preschool children in Sri Lanka this year.
She further highlighted that the proposed Gender Equality Bill aims to affirm and protect gender equality rights.
The State Minister made these remarks during the press conference held at the Presidential Media Centre on Thursday (Jan 11).
“Ensuring a nutritious breakfast for 120,000 preschool children posed a significant challenge. To address this, a request has been submitted to President Ranil Wickremesinghe to increase the allocated amount from Rs. 60 to Rs. 100 per child. Given the high prevalence of malnutrition among children in Sri Lanka, the focus is on providing a protein-rich meal.
“As a response, measures are underway this year to provide a full morning meal for all preschool children across the island. The initiative aims to encompass all Regional Secretariats, covering approximately 120,000 non-estate and 35,000 estate preschool children, totalling 155,000 beneficiaries.
“Additionally, there is a plan to introduce a training program for preschool teachers. Currently, there are 18,333 preschool teachers registered under the National Secretariat for Early Childhood Development, representing every district in Sri Lanka. While a monthly payment of Rs 2500 is provided to enhance the quality of the preschool sector and evaluate the work of preschool teachers, it is recognized that this amount falls short of their livelihoods. Therefore, there is a proposal to further increase this payment,” she said.
The State Minister also revealed that plans were underway to distribute nutrition packs to pregnant mothers, stating that the initiative aims to provide 220,214 pregnant mothers with nutrition packs for 10 months, each valued at Rs. 4,500 per month.
Stating that the Ministry has outlined plans to propose and enact three new bills aimed at safeguarding the rights of children and women, she said specifically, efforts are underway to solidify gender equality rights through the Gender Equality Bill.
“This initiative includes the establishment of a Gender Equality Council, encompassing representation for the LGBTIQ community. Within this council, endeavours are ongoing to hire Gender Focal Point officers for various government institutions,” she said. (NewsWire)