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)

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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)

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