The Sri Lanka Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus has stressed the urgent need for legal reforms to ensure a minimum of 33% women’s representation in Provincial Council and Local Government elections.

At a caucus meeting held in Parliament under the chairmanship of Minister of Women and Child Affairs Saroja Savitri Paulraj, members discussed proposals to be submitted to the Special Parliamentary Committee tasked with reviewing women and youth representation in Provincial Council elections and determining the electoral system under which they should be conducted.

The caucus emphasized the importance of introducing legal provisions to guarantee women’s representation both in nomination lists and among elected members, with discussions also planned with the Election Commission to advance these proposals.

Options under consideration include ensuring representation through nomination list requirements, mandatory seat allocation, or a mixed electoral system.

Members also highlighted challenges such as prevailing social attitudes, high election expenses, and the need for political party cooperation in raising women’s participation. 

The caucus underscored the importance of public awareness programs to promote women’s political engagement. (Newswire)

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The Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus has instructed relevant authorities to ensure that all ongoing investigations into the Anuradhapura child abuse case are conducted strictly in line with court orders, while also calling for forensic and medical reports to be obtained without delay. 

The Caucus further directed the National Child Protection Authority to monitor proceedings in Anuradhapura, Attanagalla, and Dambulla courts, and urged measures to minimize repeated trauma experienced by the victim due to multiple hearings.

The meeting, held in Parliament recently (05) and chaired by Minister of Women and Child Affairs Saroja Savithri Paulraj, brought together officials from the Attorney General’s Department, the National Child Protection Authority, the Department of Probation and Child Care Services, and the Sri Lanka Police.

During discussions, the Attorney General’s Department agreed to appear before the Anuradhapura Magistrate’s Court to strengthen judicial processes and improve coordination among institutions. 

The Department of Probation and Child Care Services was also tasked with continuing to safeguard the girl’s education, health, and safety.

The Caucus emphasized the need for effective coordination among law enforcement agencies handling child abuse cases and agreed to intervene where necessary. 

It also decided to develop guidelines for media reporting and judicial proceedings to protect the privacy, security, and dignity of child victims. 

A subcommittee under the Caucus will oversee this process and address legal and practical challenges in child abuse litigation. (Newswire)

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The Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus of Sri Lanka, led by Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj, convened on January 21 to discuss legislative reforms, including a proposal to establish a common legal minimum age for marriage across all communities.

The caucus discussed the need to amend existing marriage laws and define a “child” in alignment with international standards to enhance child protection efforts in Sri Lanka. 

Following the meeting, it was decided that stakeholder input would be sought to develop comprehensive recommendations for parliamentary approval.  

The forum also revisited past proposals on women’s empowerment and resolved to refine these for future consideration.  (Newswire)

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The Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus of the Tenth Parliament met for the first time at the Parliamentary complex on Tuesday (03 Dec), under the patronage of Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya.

According to a Parliament statement, during the meeting Minister of Women and Child Affairs, Saroja Paulraj was elected as the new Chairperson of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus. Her name was proposed by MP Samanmalee Gunasingha and was seconded by MP Anushka Thilakarathne.

Additionally, two Deputy Co-Chairs were elected. The name of MP Chamindrani Bandara Kirielle was proposed by MP Rohini Kumari Wijerathna and was seconded by MP Thushari Jayasingha. MP Samanmalee Gunasingha was also elected as a Deputy Co-Chair, following her name being proposed by MP Krishnan Kaleichelvi and being seconded by MP Deepthi Wasalage.

Addressing everyone present, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya emphasized the significant achievement of having a noteworthy percentage of women elected to Parliament by public vote. The Prime Minister highlighted the importance of conducting the activities of the Caucus beyond political ideologies and fostering a collaborative spirit.

Chairperson Saroja Paulraj expressed her aspirations for the Caucus, underscoring the vision of creating a nation where every woman feels safe and secure. 

The Caucus also decided to establish a subcommittee, led by the two Deputy Co-Chairs, to review and report on future programs and initiatives. Additionally, upon a proposal by MP Rohini Kumari Wijerathna, it was decided to commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on December 6.

Deputy Chairpersons of Committees, Hemali Weerasekara and the Secretary to the Caucus and the Secretary General of Parliament Kushani Rohanadeera were also present at the Caucus meeting.

The session was also attended by several Parliamentarians, including Saroja Savithri Paulraj, Rohini Kumari Wijerathna, Samanmalee Gunasingha, Chamindrani Bandara Kirielle, Deepthi Wasalage, Thushari Jayasingha, Oshani Umanga, Dr.  Kaushalya Ariyarathna, Krishnan Kaleichelvi, Lakmali Hemachandra, Geetha Herath, Hiruni Wijesinghe, Anushka Thilakarathne, Sagarika Athauda, M.A.C.S. Chathuri Gangani, Nilusha Lakmali, A.M.M.M. Rathwaththe, Nilanthi Kottahachchi, Hasara Liyanage, and Ambika Samivel, among others. (Newswire)

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The Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus (WPC) has submitted proposals to amend the Anti-Corruption Bill to be debated and passed in Parliament today (21).

According to a Parliament statement, the proposals were submitted in a letter addressed to the Speaker on behalf of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus and the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Children, Women and Gender.

In the letter, the chairperson of the Caucus, MP Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle stated that the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus is very happy to see the inclusion of the concept of sexual bribery being addressed in the draft of the present Anti-Corruption Bill. 

However, Dr. Fernandopulle informed that two priority concerns have been identified that require amendment immediately before the debate scheduled on 21 June 2023.

The first is that there should be a change in the offence of ‘sexual favour’. The Caucus requests that the term sexual favour diminishes the offence and therefore, instead, the term ‘sexual bribery’ be substituted as it ensures that the gravity of the offence is reflected in the law.

Dr. Fernandopulle points out that the second is that due to the Section 162 sub-section (f) re corruption – the draft bill reflects that the offence is committed by both the giver and the taker of any bribe and the person giving the bribe may be treated unfairly.

Thus, the Caucus informs the speaker that they also request to include an exception in the case of sexual bribery only, where the giver/offeror of the bribe is not considered the guilty party. (NewsWire)

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The Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus (WPC) has proposed to develop a more effective and efficient complaint and investigative mechanism to regulate gender-based violence on digital platforms to safeguard the well-being and dignity of women and girls.

In a statement, the WPC also says that it is necessary to build awareness of digital gender-based violence and safer means of using digital platforms among the general public.

The statement is issued by Dr. Sudarshani Fernandopulle, Chairperson of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus to mark International Women’s Day which falls on the 08th of March.

Full statement: 

On the 8th of March 2023, we commemorate International Women’s Day which is observed with an overall objective of promoting the understanding of issues faced by women striving for greater gender equality and women’s empowerment, while celebrating the progress so far made towards achieving such goals.

Whereas an international day dedicated towards women might appear inconsequential, the observance of this day is crucial in creating public awareness of women’s rights and issues faced by women, and above all, it is a powerful advocacy tool to mobilize political will and resources to realize gender equality and women’s empowerment.

With the advancement of technology and globalization, the challenges that women face have altered. However, prejudices and stereotypical beliefs still stand in the way of women realizing their full potential, even in the 21st century. In order to cater to the changing world and the problems that come hand in hand with it, the theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”.

In light of the global pandemic and the resultant movement restrictions imposed, life on earth drastically changed with many activities, ranging from professional work, education and social activities, being transformed and transferred to the online digital world. Online education and working from home have now become the norm in many post-pandemic societies, including Sri Lanka. Therefore, the use of digital spaces and devices drastically increased, particularly among children, as parents permitted children to access the internet and use smartphones in order to facilitate online education.

While the overall usage of online and digital spaces and devices has increased, a considerable part of the country is prevented from accessing the internet altogether due to problems ranging from connectivity issues to the inability to purchase digital devices due to economic constraints. This is particularly detrimental to children whereas online education has become the new norm.

It also appears that in instances where a family could afford just one device, the male child is given preference over the female child to use the device due to prejudicial beliefs. It is reported worldwide that digital literacy is lower for women than for men due to the limitations faced by women in their access to devices, networks and data.

However, if it is also not used correctly, the internet could very easily become a medium propagating violence and harassment. Complaints made to the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT) and National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) by distressed individuals and parents reached a record high in a pandemic-hit society. The victims of most such instances were women and girls.

Therefore, building awareness of digital gender-based violence and safer means of using digital platforms among the general public is imperative.

In view of the above, the Caucus has strengthened its efforts to initiate discussions to mobilize resources for improved accessibility to the internet and to improve regulations to prevent digital gender-based violence. While acknowledging there is yet a long way to go, the Caucus is determined to stay committed to its undertaking to empower women and create an enabling environment that promotes, protects and supports the digital rights, well-being and dignity of women and girls. (NewsWire)

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