The Cabinet has approved amending the existing Prevention of Domestic Violence Act to present a new bill to Parliament, State Minister of Women and Children’s Affairs Geetha Kumarasinghe announced.
The State Minister also revealed that plans are in progress to establish the National Commission for Women, following the introduction of the already gazetted Bill on Women’s Empowerment.
State Minister Geetha Kumarasinghe made the remarks during a press briefing held at the Presidential Media Centre on Tuesday (Apr 02).
Speaking further, the State Minister said the Cabinet approved the Women’s Empowerment Bill in April 2023 and subsequently, the draft bill was officially published in the gazette in July 2023.
She further said that it is scheduled to be presented in Parliament soon and that the Act includes provisions regarding the establishment of the National Commission for Women.
The Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus has also convened a discussion in Parliament recently (Mar 20), regarding the bill for women’s empowerment. Various stakeholders, such as the President’s Office, the Attorney General’s Department, and the Legal Draftsman’s Department, actively participated in the discussion.
The observations made by the World Bank regarding the Bill on Women’s Empowerment were also taken into consideration. The Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus has decided to review the observations within one week. If there are any additional amendments deemed necessary, the Bill will be re-published in the gazette and presented to Parliament, she said.
State Minister Kumarasinghe pointed out that additionally, several crucial clauses have been added, such as the provision for a close associate to file a case on behalf of women facing domestic violence. The Cabinet of Ministers has also approved to amend the existing Prevention of Domestic Violence Act and present it to Parliament as a new Act.
Temporary detention centres for abused women have been established in Gampaha, Ratnapura, Colombo, Matara, Batticaloa, Anuradhapura, Monaragala, and Nuwara Eliya districts, she said.
State Minister of Women and Children’s Affairs also revealed that the Bill on Gender Equality has received Cabinet approval and will now be forwarded to the government printing press for gazetting.
She added that the Cabinet has also approved the national guidelines for the management of women’s care homes dedicated to victims of sexual and gender-based violence. (NewsWire)