Sri Lanka Women have clinched the ODI series 2-1 after defeating Pakistan Women by 8 wickets in the third and final ODI played in Hambantota today. 

Pakistan were bowled out for 187 in 40 overs before Sri Lanka chased down the target with ease, reaching 191/2 in 37.2 overs. (Newswire)

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President Anura Kumara Dissanayake chaired a pre‑budget discussion at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (20), focusing on the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs. 

The meeting reviewed the progress of projects implemented under the 2026 budget and examined proposals for the upcoming 2027 allocations.

Officials presented updates on recurrent and capital expenditures carried out by the Sri Lanka Women’s Bureau, the National Commission on Women, the National Secretariat for Early Childhood Development, the Department of Probation and Child Care Services, and the National Child Protection Authority.

The President also evaluated the progress of key programs, including institutional care and guardianship, living allowances for street children, nutritional food allowances for pregnant mothers, morning meals for preschool children, and the ‘Guru Abhimani’ allowance scheme for preschool teachers. 

He stressed that the nutritional food allowance for pregnant mothers must be implemented under strict supervision to ensure its intended goal of improving maternal nutrition, rather than becoming another cash‑grant project.

Progress of the monthly allowance program for children orphaned by Cyclone Ditwah was also reviewed, with the President emphasizing the need for swift disbursement to affected children. 

Discussions further covered the child protection program under the National Child Protection Authority, aimed at identifying and rescuing vulnerable children. 

The President highlighted the importance of a proper data system, noting that 2027 budget allocations would be based on accurate data. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has announced a 15-member Sri Lanka Women’s U19 squad for the upcoming Tour of India. 

According to an SLC statement, during the tour, the team will play three T20 matches and three One Day matches. 

The T20 matches will be played on 22, 24, and 27 June in Chennai, while the One Day matches will be played on 30 June and 3 and 6 July in Pondicherry. 

The Sri Lankan squad will be captained by Chamudi Praboda, while Sanjana Kavindi has been named Vice Captain. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has announced the squad to take part in the One-Day series against the touring New Zealand Women’s ‘A’ team. 

According to an SLC statement, the 15-member squad will be captained by Sathya Sandeepani.

The One-Day matches will be played on 12th, 15th, and 18th May.

All matches will be played at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium (RDICS), Dambulla. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has announced the schedule for the Sri Lanka National Women’s Team’s upcoming tour of India. 

According to the SLC, the Sri Lanka Women’s Team will tour India in December 2025 to play a five-match T20 International series. 

The series will begin in Visakhapatnam, which will host the first two T20Is. 

The team will then travel to Thiruvananthapuram for the remaining three matches of the tour. (Newswire)

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A man who had been arrested for earning money by selling Facebook pages created using unauthorized photographs of women has been granted bail.

It is reported that the suspect was presented before the court yesterday by the Cyber Crimes Division of the Criminal Investigation Department.

The suspect had reportedly created Facebook pages using photographs of women, increased their reach and views to each having between 10,000 to 20,000 followers, and later sold those pages.

Investigations found that he had sold the Facebook pages for between Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 2,000 and had transferred ownership of the pages by including the buyers’ email addresses.

The suspect was found to have been involved in this fraudulent activity through more than ten Facebook pages.

He was arrested following a complaint filed by a woman whose pictures had been used to create a Facebook page. (Newswire)

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The Ministry of Labour has announced plans to amend the existing laws on the employment of female workers at night as part of a wider labour law reform initiative.

Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando said attention has been given to introducing four key bills under the proposed reforms. He made these remarks during the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Labour Affairs held recently (08).

According to the Ministry Secretary, a 17-member committee has been appointed to review 14 current labour laws and draft four principal labour-related bills covering trade unions, labour, occupational safety, and termination of employment.

As part of this process, amendments will be made to the Women Working at Night law, the Labour Protection law, and provisions related to insurance in the event of termination of employment. Officials said these changes aim to modernize regulations and strengthen worker protection until new legislation is introduced.

The Ministry also said that a national policy on occupational safety and health has reached its final stage, and that the Labour Department’s database is being upgraded under the government’s digitalization program to ensure immediate worker registration.

Deputy Minister Anil Jayantha Fernando noted that the draft reforms will be developed after detailed consultations with all relevant stakeholders, including trade unions. (Newswire)

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Minister of Transport Bimal Ratnayake says women drivers and conductors will soon be recruited into the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) public transport service.

He made this announcement on Tuesday (16) while attending a special program held at the Colombo District Secretariat.

Minister Rathnayake said that the SLTB has fallen into depths deeper than the Mariana trench, and that politicians are responsible for its destruction.

He further said that the SLTB depots in Sri Lanka have become hell on earth, riddled with shortcomings. 

However, he noted that steps have already been taken to modernize 25 bus depots.

Stating that 750 new drivers and conductors are being recruited to address the current shortage of SLTB staff, the minister affirmed that the SLTB is being rebuilt into a profitable institution. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has appointed Tim Boon, the former Head Coach of Leicestershire County Cricket Club, as the High Performance Development Consultant focusing on Women’s Cricket. 

According to an SLC statement, Boon has been engaged for a four-month period, during which he will work closely with the National Women’s Team in preparation for the Women’s World Cup starting on 30th September 2025. 

Following the World Cup, he will extend his expertise to the National U19 Girls Team and the Women’s ‘A’ Team and also the U19 Men’s Team, focusing on the ICC U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2026. 

His role will involve designing and delivering high-performance training programs, conducting technical and tactical sessions and carrying out performance evaluations. 

Boon’s consultancy will be conducted in two phases, with the first term starting on 30th August and leading up to 5th November 2025, and the second term starting on 10th January and ending on 9th March 2026. 

He brings with him a wealth of experience, having previously coached the England U19 Team and served in various development roles. 

Earlier this year, Boon also worked with both the Sri Lanka National Women’s and Men’s squads, conducting technical and tactical sessions aimed at improving batting approaches and individual performance. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has announced the 15-member squad selected to participate in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025. 

The squad, selected by the SLC Selection Panel, will be headed by Chamari Athapaththu.

The Women’s World Cup will be played in India and Sri Lanka from 30th September to 2nd November. 

Sri Lanka will start its campaign on the 30th of September when they take on India at Guwahati in the tournament’s opening game. (Newswire)

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The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced the schedule for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, where hosts India will get the tournament underway against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru. 

The two countries will get the tournament started at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on 30 September, with action starting at 15h00 local time.

Defending champions Australia, then get their campaign up and running against neighbours, New Zealand, at Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore on 1 October, while Bangladesh face Pakistan a day later in Colombo.

Bengaluru plays host for a second time as 2022 runners-up England face South Africa on Friday, 3 October, in the final opening match.

The round-robin stage runs until 26 October, with the final day of group stage action culminating in two matches on the same day, with England facing New Zealand in Guwahati and India hosting Bangladesh in Bengaluru.

The semi-finals are scheduled for 29 and 30 October, before the Final takes place on 2 November.

The top four sides from the round-robin stage will progress to the semi-finals, with first place playing fourth and second taking on third.

ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 Sri Lanka matches:

• Tuesday 30 September: India v Sri Lanka – Bengaluru – 15h00
• Saturday 4 October: Australia v Sri Lanka – Colombo – 15h00
• Saturday 11 October: England v Sri Lanka – Guwahati – 15h00
• Tuesday 14 October: New Zealand v Sri Lanka – Colombo – 15h00
• Friday 17 October: South Africa v Sri Lanka – Colombo – 15h00
• Monday 20 October: Sri Lanka v Bangladesh – Colombo – 15h00
• Friday 24 October: Pakistan v Sri Lanka – Colombo – 15h00
• Saturday 25 October: Australia v Sri Lanka – Indore – 15h00

Full schedule:

• Tuesday 30 September: India v Sri Lanka – Bengaluru – 15h00
• Wednesday 1 October: Australia v New Zealand – Indore – 15h00
• Thursday 2 October: Bangladesh v Pakistan – Colombo – 15h00
• Friday 3 October: England v South Africa – Bengaluru – 15h00
• Saturday 4 October: Australia v Sri Lanka – Colombo – 15h00
• Sunday 5 October: India v Pakistan – Colombo – 15h00
• Monday 6 October: New Zealand v South Africa – Indore – 15h00
• Tuesday 7 October: England v Bangladesh – Guwahati – 15h00
• Wednesday 8 October: Australia v Pakistan – Colombo – 15h00
• Thursday 9 October: India v South Africa – Vizag – 15h00
• Friday 10 October: New Zealand v Bangladesh – Vizag – 15h00
• Saturday 11 October: England v Sri Lanka – Guwahati – 15h00
• Sunday 12 October: India v Australia – Vizag – 15h00
• Monday 13 October: South Africa v Bangladesh – Vizag – 15h00
• Tuesday 14 October: New Zealand v Sri Lanka – Colombo – 15h00
• Wednesday 15 October: England v Pakistan – Colombo – 15h00
• Thursday 16 October: Australia v Bangladesh – Vizag – 15h00
• Friday 17 October: South Africa v Sri Lanka – Colombo – 15h00
• Saturday 18 October: New Zealand v Pakistan – Colombo – 15h00
• Sunday 19 October: India v England – Indore – 15h00
• Monday 20 October: Sri Lanka v Bangladesh – Colombo – 15h00
• Tuesday 21 October: South Africa v Pakistan – Colombo – 15h00
• Wednesday 22 October: Australia v England – Indore – 15h00
• Thursday 23 October: India v New Zealand – Guwahati – 15h00
• Friday 24 October: Pakistan v Sri Lanka – Colombo – 15h00
• Saturday 25 October: Australia v Sri Lanka – Indore – 15h00
• Sunday 26 October: England v New Zealand – Guwahati – 11h00
• Sunday 26 October: India v Bangladesh – Bengaluru – 15h00
• Wednesday 29 October: Semi-final 1 – Guwahati/Colombo – 15h00
• Thursday 30 October: Semi-final 2 – Bengaluru – 15h00
• Sunday 2 November: Final – Colombo/Bengaluru – 15h00 (ICC)

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By Yashora Gunawardena (IPS Research Assistant)

A recent IPS study brings out the reality of Sri Lankan Female Migrant Workers (FMWs), particularly those engaged in domestic work across the Middle East. These women juggle multiple roles across various locations, handling extra tasks, often beyond their contractual obligations. Despite the heavy workload, they often do not receive even their agreed-upon payment, which delays the timely transfer of money to their families, making it difficult for them to meet basic needs such as food, education, health and housing, ultimately leading to a shortfall in the country’s expected foreign exchange inflows, diminishing the broader economic gains of labour migration in Sri Lanka.

Trends in Migration

The female migration pattern in Sri Lanka has fluctuated notably over recent years. In 2018, considered a normal year before the economic crisis, women made up 38.6% (81,499) of total departures for foreign employment. However, in 2023, during the peak of Sri Lanka’s economic crisis, their share increased to 44.7% (133,048). 

Although women made up less than half of all migrant departures (44.7%) in 2023, they accounted for 80.3% of the total complaints (6,051 out of 7,535) received by the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), indicating that complaints are proportionally higher among female migrants. Among these, wage-related grievances stand out. Of particular concern is that in 2023 alone, the SLBFE documented 694 complaints about wage non-payment, over half of which were lodged by FMWs. But behind the statistics, personal struggles often go unnoticed, and these untold stories deserve to be heard.

Why Women Migrate: The Dreams Behind the Journey

For many FMWs, migration is not just a choice but a necessity, beginning with the hope of escaping poverty, supporting their families, or securing a better future. The reasons women migrate are varied and deeply personal. But for migrant mothers, the journey takes on an even deeper meaning. Unlike other migrant women, they carry not only the weight of their struggles to strive for their survival but also the dreams for the future of their children. 

Many migrant mothers with school-aged children endure long working hours, difficult working conditions, and emotional sacrifices to build a better future for their children. For them, education is often seen as the pathway out of this vicious cycle of poverty. Education, something that many migrant mothers may have missed, motivates them to convert every penny earned into funds to invest in better quality education as revealed by UN Women Asia-Pacific study notes that many female migrant workers send money home explicitly for school-related costs such as books, tuition, and transport, despite the loneliness, overwork, or even abuse they may face abroad.

Unpaid Wages, Unfulfilled Promises

The issue of non-payment of wages goes far beyond simply not receiving wages for hard work, when the financial gap created by missing wages turns a mother’s sacrifice into a painful struggle, thus delaying her dreams of seeing her children receive proper education. 

One such example  from IPS’s recent study highlights the real struggles behind these statistics.  It is about a woman with two school-aged children who migrated to Oman to work as a domestic worker, hoping to give her children a better life through the income she would earn. However, once in Oman, she was not paid her salary for several months. She pleaded for her overdue payments as her children’s schooling depended entirely on the remittances she had planned to send back home. 

In Sri Lanka, when FDWs face such issues while working abroad, they, or their next of kin (NOK), can make a complaint to the SLBFE. When such complaints are received, the SLBFE reviews the details and then conducts an inquiry, involving both the NOK of the migrant worker and the local recruitment agent. In this case, during the SLBFE inquiry, the FDW’s husband, acting as her NOK, revealed that she had not received her salary for three consecutive months. 

This situation is not isolated. Delayed or unpaid wages among domestic workers in the Gulf countries are commonplace. A major issue in this context is that the recruitment culture for FDWs from Sri Lanka to the Middle East involves the employer paying an upfront incentive to the FDW before she takes up the employment overseas.  This shifts the expectation by the employer that the FDW needs to continue working, no matter what the situation. But this particular family’s situation was especially vulnerable.  In this case, the husband, who was unemployed at the time due to health reasons, explained that they had no other source of income. The family had been relying solely on her expected earnings to fund their children’s education. 

Mother’s Absence Costs More Than Earnings

While remittances bring clear financial benefits, it is crucial to look beyond the economic lens and consider what migration truly costs mothers and families, as it leaves a deep void in the upbringing of a child who must grow up without the daily care of a mother.

For the children left behind in the country of origin, the concerns primarily centre on “their social, educational, behavioural, and psychological development”.

Indeed, academic challenges exist broadly, as evidenced by the fact that nearly 50% of students in Sri Lanka fail their O/L examinations, even with the presence of both parents. But the absence of a mother due to migration can compound these challenges. Since the mother is away, it hurts a child’s life in many ways, as no one can replace a mother’s love and care. 

For instance, a real-life case reflecting these concerns is that of   a mother from Badulla who had spent over 20 years working in the Middle East..  During her long absence, her husband became an alcoholic. One of her daughters was unable to get through the O/L exams, and her other daughter ran away with a boy. As such, the absence of a mother, along with not having proper care at home and poor money management, can cause the children’s education falling apart, turning the mother’s dream into a fading hope. 

This is not just one story; there are many similar incidents all around us. These real-life stories align closely with the findings from the other studies’ supporting the idea that the absence of a primary caregiver, particularly the mother, can lead to educational development and emotional distress due to inadequate protection, particularly when fathers or other caregivers cannot provide necessary support, leading to increased vulnerability among these children.

SLBFE officers confirm this pattern through KIIs conducted for IPS’s latest study, 

“The social impact of mothers migrating and leaving their children behind is significant, as it heavily impacts their education and safety. They also reported that children often struggle without their mother’s guidance and emotional support, leading to a loss of focus in their studies and reduced motivation. 

These stories are just one or two of many, touching on the financial and emotional toll on many mothers who sacrifice every coin to give a better life for the children. Therefore, the personal struggles of migrant mothers that hide behind the figures usually go unnoticed.

Balancing Hope with the Hardships of Migration

The SLBFE has set plans to facilitate 340,000 foreign employment opportunities by 2025, marking the highest number of total departures for foreign employment in Sri Lanka’s history. It is important to recognise the broader economic and social costs associated with migration, even as Sri Lanka increasingly relies on sending record numbers of workers abroad as a strategy to reduce domestic unemployment and boost foreign exchange earnings. 

Instances of non-payment not only cause hardship for families but also hurt the national economy. Emotional and educational setbacks for children left behind can have long term impacts on Sri Lanka’s human capital development.

These stories of FMWs serve as a powerful reminder of the paradox of migration: Hopes for a better life versus the cost of emotional and financial hardships. This paradox underscores the urgent need for stronger policy measures to ensure that migration is safe, fair, and truly beneficial, both for the workers and for national development. 

Recommendations

To address financial challenges faced by migrant mothers due to delayed wages:

• Maintain employer accountability frameworks with wage protection mechanisms for the employees:

• Establish a Wage Protection System (WPS):  The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and the Qatar Central Bank launched WPS, an electronic system, to track and record the worker wage payment process in Qatar. As such, to ensure timely salary payments, the SLBFE can maintain a database that enables recruitment agencies/employers to report on the payment status at 3- or 6-month intervals each year and upload verified payment slips as supporting documentation to ensure accuracy of the status.
• Public Disclosure of Defaulters: By reviewing the database, the SLBFE can publicly disclose the names of employers and recruitment agencies who fail to meet payment deadlines, thereby increasing transparency and encouraging timely payments.
• Good Employer/Agency List: Employers who remit their payments on time can be placed on a “good employer/agency list”, which serves as a positive reputational marker, motivating employers to maintain fair labour practices.

To address the educational and emotional challenges faced by children of migrant mothers:

• Focus on Family Support Initiatives: The SLBFE is currently granting scholarships for children of migrant workers. Rather than relying solely on scholarships, having a revolving fund or emergency grant system in place, which can be accessed more quickly when wage delays are detected. The fund could be set up by the SLBFE in collaboration with local or international partners, such as private sector companies or organisations focused on migrant welfare.

Sri Lanka can monitor these sensitive issues, such as the impact of migrating mothers and the sacrifices made for their children’s education. Protecting the well-being of migrant workers is not just a social imperative, it also supports national goals of reducing unemployment and increasing foreign exchange earnings. By aligning worker protection with economic development, Sri Lanka can fully realise the benefits of labour migration for families, ensuring that the sacrifices made by Sri Lanka’s migrant mothers are not in vain, and their hope for their children’s future can blossom into something real.

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Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has announced the revised schedule of the upcoming women’s tri-nation series between Sri Lanka, India, and South Africa. 

Accordingly, all matches will be played as ‘day games’ at the Premadasa Cricket Stadium in Colombo.

The tournament will kick off with Sri Lanka and India facing each other on 27 April 2025. 

Each team will play four games, and the top two teams will qualify to play the finals on 11 May 2025. (Newswire)

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Deputy Minister of Labour Mahinda Jayasinghe says the government intends to strengthen laws to protect women and eliminate violence and harassment in the workplace in Sri Lanka.

Speaking to the media, Deputy Minister Jayasinghe said as such, the government hopes to ratify the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 190 on eliminating violence and harassment in the world of work.

Stating that even though Sri Lanka is yet to ratify this convention, the Deputy Minister said steps will be taken to look into the ratification of the convention and introduce related laws. 

“We will introduce this as a law and ensure the safety of women in workplaces and also prevent all forms of abuse, be it mental or physical, faced by women,” he added.

Deputy Minister of Labour Mahinda Jayasinghe made the remarks in response to the recent incident of a female doctor being raped while on duty at the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital. (Newswire)

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The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has praised Sri Lanka’s national action plan on women, peace and security, but has raised questions about the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act, which permitted child marriage, and domestic violence.

The national action plan on women was applauded after the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women today concluded its consideration of the ninth periodic report of Sri Lanka.

One Committee Expert said the national action plan on women, peace and security was a positive step in addressing the needs of women in conflict.  Were there plans to conduct a mid-term assessment of the plan?

Yamila González Ferrer, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Sri Lanka said that the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act was amended in 2022, but there were still concerns about elements of the law.  Were there plans to further amend the law, including to ban child marriage?

Another Committee Expert said at least one in five women in Sri Lanka had experienced violence from an intimate partner, and many did not report it.  What was the timeline for adopting proposed amendments to the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act?  What protections were provided to women victims of violence?

Introducing the report, Saroja Savitri Paulraj, Minister of Women and Child Affairs of Sri Lanka and head of the delegation, said the Sri Lankan Government was committed to upholding the rights of women and girls and advancing gender equality.  

This review held particular significance, as it was the country’s first engagement with an international human rights treaty body since the presidential and parliamentary elections of 2024.

Minister Paulraj said Sri Lanka’s first national action plan for women, peace and security for 2023 to 2027 had been launched and that the Government was committed to realising the full promise of the women, peace and security agenda.  

The delegation added that the action plan addressed displacement and women’s protection, security and participation in peacebuilding.  The State party was planning to conduct a review of the implementation of the action plan.

On the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act, the delegation said the Government had conducted consultations regarding its amendment. It was trying to strike a balance between women’s and children’s rights and cultural rights. Minister Paulraj added that the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus had suggested setting a minimum age for marriage and establishing a multi-sectoral committee to address this issue.

On domestic violence, the delegation said the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act had been amended; the amended Act would come into force this year. The Assistance to Victims Act underlined the rights of victims to be treated with respect and privacy, and to request legal, medical and psychosocial assistance.  A toll-free hotline operated by female officers was available for reporting domestic violence.

In closing remarks, MinisterPaulraj said the Sri Lankan Government had undertaken significant efforts to strengthen women’s empowerment.  It was fully committed to addressing the issues that women faced in the State and would continue to engage with the Committee constructively.

In her concluding remarks, Nahla Haidar, Committee Chair, said that the State party had shared candidly and transparently the progress made and the difficulties it was facing.  She commended the State party for its efforts and encouraged it to implement the Committee’s recommendations for the benefit of all Sri Lankan women and girls.

The delegation of Sri Lanka consisted of representatives from the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs; the Attorney General’s Department; the Sri Lanka Police; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism; and the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

The Committee will issue the concluding observations on the report of Sri Lanka at the end of its ninetieth session on 21 February. 

For more information : https://shorturl.at/Uk2Ir (Newswire)

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The Sri Lanka National Women’s Cricket Team will tour New Zealand from February to March this year to engage in an ODI and T20I series. 

According to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), the women’s team will leave the country on the 22nd of February 2025.

They will play 03 ODIs and 03 T20Is, respectively, while the tour also includes two warm-up games.

The Sri Lanka Women’s Team schedule for the tour of New Zealand is as follows; 

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Specialist Doctor Saman Iddagoda says there is a significant increase in smoking among women, compared to men in Sri Lanka.

Addressing a media briefing at the Health Promotion Bureau (HBP), he said that compared to the last 10-15 years, there is a reduction in smoking among men. 

Doctor Saman Iddagoda further said there was a high rate of young women being diagnosed with lung cancer at present, due to smoking.

Pointing out that smoking was a direct cause of lung cancer, he advised the public, especially women, to be cautious and mindful of the effects of smoking. 

He also warned that if an individual stops smoking today, he faces a risk of being diagnosed with lung cancer within the next 10-15 years.

Doctor Saman Iddagoda further revealed that other smoking items, apart from cigarettes, also contribute to lung cancer. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has announced that the Sri Lanka U-19 Women’s team will tour Australia from September–October 2024.

According to the SLC, the Sri Lanka U-19 Women’s team will engage in a tri-series, which will see the team playing both T20 and 50-over games against Australia and New Zealand. 

The SLC stated that the tour is vital exposure for the girls, as they will play against highly competitive teams and also in different conditions. 

The Sri Lanka U-19 Women’s team also played in a similar tri-series involving Australia and England in Hambantota in April. (Newswire)

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Led by Harshitha Samarawickrama’s unbeaten 45-ball 86, Sri Lanka kicked off their Ireland tour with a comfortable seven-wicket win against Ireland. Despite the absence of their skipper Chamari Athapaththu, the visitors chased down the 146-run target with 20 balls to spare at the Pembroke Cricket Club in Dublin.

Put into bat, Ireland made a steady start to the innings. A 59-run stand in 49 balls between Gaby Lewis and Orla Prendergast laid the foundation for a reasonably strong total. Laura Delany and Rebecca Stockell then took advantage in the death overs with a couple of handy boundaries each even as Sri Lanka chipped away with regular wickets.

However, they couldn’t control that momentum with the ball as Sri Lanka blazed away to a strong start. Vimshi Gunaratne took the attack to Ava Cunning in the second over, hammering her for a boundary and a six in a 15-run over, and keeping that attack going against Predergast and Arelene Kelly. Soon after Vimshi slowed down at the end of the powerplay, Samarawickrama went after the Irish bowlers.

By the time Ireland could strike a few blows, the contest had slipped out of their grasp courtesy of the 83-run opening stand. Samarawickrama powered away to her personal best to help Sri Lanka go one-up in the series.

Brief Scores: Ireland 145/6 in 20 overs (Gaby Lewis 39, Laura Delany 25; Inoshi Praiyadharshani 2-35) lost to Sri Lanka 149/3 in 16.4 overs (Harshitha Samarawickrama 86, Vimshi Gunaratne 30; Laura Delany 1-16) by 7 wickets (Cricbuzz – TOI)

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The proposal to use Rs. 2 billion to implement a special loan scheme to remove obstacles for women to engage in economic activities has received a Cabinet nod.

According to the government, it has been observed that women’s participation in Sri Lanka’s economic affairs is at a lower level than in other regional and Asian countries. 

As per the 2022 survey of Sri Lanka’s workforce, thirty-five per cent of the economically active population are women and it shows a significant disparity in the gender contribution rates of economic participation. 

Opportunities for accessing financial resources are limited due to reasons such as women’s limited financial literacy and lack of property or security required to obtain a loan. 

The government pointed out that these have been identified as the main obstacles faced by women entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka. 

According to the decision of the Cabinet in February 2024, a provision of Rs. 20 billion has been allocated to implement an investment scheme to re-strengthen the enterprise sector. 

Therefore, the Cabinet approved the proposal presented by the President to implement a special loan scheme to remove obstacles for women to engage in economic activities by using Rs. 2 billion out of the allocated Rs. 20 billion. (Newswire)

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