The government has undertaken preparations to introduce three pivotal bills aimed at preventing gender-based violence in Sri Lanka, State Minister for Women, Children Affairs, and Social Empowerment, Geeta Kumarasinghe announced.
State Minister Geeta Kumarasinghe said that these legislative measures, including the Gender Equality Act, the National Commission for Women Act, and the Women’s Empowerment Act, are vital steps in promoting gender equality and safety.
She further stressed that the measures are being taken in response to President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s directives to address gender-based violence in Sri Lanka.
According to the President’s Media Division (PMD), she made the remarks while addressing a media briefing held at the Presidential Media Centre on Tuesday (Oct 10).
Addressing the media, the State Minister said the government is also placing special emphasis on the social security of women. As part of this commitment, plans are underway to establish women’s care centres across ten districts, providing a secure environment for women in need, while a 24/7 emergency hotline, 1938, has been introduced, allowing women to seek assistance and report incidents confidentially.
To ensure the safety of children left without parental care and to protect their identities, the government has implemented the “Window” program. Recognizing the importance of women’s safety, the ministry is considering reducing taxes on sanitary napkins.
She also said a comprehensive program to prevent gender-based violence is in the pipeline. This initiative, implemented in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), spans the next five years (2024 – 2028). It includes self-employment schemes to empower young women, widows, women from incarcerated families, women in the estate sector, and low-income urban women entrepreneurs. The government is actively working on the establishment of women’s care centres in ten districts to provide support and assistance to women in need.
Moreover, the Ministry of Women, Child Affairs, and Social Empowerment has undertaken numerous initiatives for children’s welfare, including a nutritional allowance program, providing Rs. 45,000 over ten months for pregnant and lactating mothers, which continues to operate. This program offers benefits for six months during pregnancy and four months during lactation.
In addition, a program has been implemented to provide breakfast to preschool children in the year 2023, and the target number of children is 155,000. Furthermore, high-nutrition biscuits are being distributed to preschool children in districts, including Monaragala, Galle, Mullaitivu, Anuradhapura, Nuwara Eliya, and Ampara, to combat nutritional deficiencies. Preschool teachers will receive a monthly stipend of Rs. 2,500 under the “Guru Abhimani” program.
State Minister Geeta Kumarasinghe added that monthly district-level meetings are being conducted to address the concerns of children and women, ensuring that these initiatives are successful. (NewsWire)