Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya on Sunday (15) warned against attempts to undermine the government’s reform agenda by inciting racism, stating that women have often been among those most affected by such divisions.
Addressing the Mannar District Women’s Meeting held in the Adambal area, PM said the government would not allow divisive forces to derail progress and urged women to take a leading role in sustaining social and political change.
“We will not allow attempts to cripple the government’s progress by promoting racism,” she said, adding that the law must be made more effective to protect women and children from violence and abuse.
Harini noted that women make up about 52 percent of Sri Lanka’s population, describing them as a powerful force in society. However, she said their numerical strength has not always translated into real influence in daily life or across key sectors.
“Women have been among the main groups affected by racism. Should we allow division and discord to be created again? No. That is why women’s leadership is needed. To carry forward the change we have begun, women must also step forward. There is still much work to be done. We will not allow the progress we have made to be reversed,” she said.
Reflecting on the country’s past, the prime minister said decades of war and violence had left deep social divisions, with women bearing a disproportionate share of the suffering. Many, she said, continue to grieve lost family members or struggle alone to support their households, even years after the conflict ended.
She said the government is engaged in a sustained effort to counter racism and ensure equal rights for all citizens, while accusing unnamed groups of seeking power by fostering division rather than addressing corruption, strengthening democracy or rebuilding the economy.
PM pointed to the country’s recovery from the 2022 economic crisis, saying reforms introduced by her administration had helped curb corruption and waste, enabling economic stabilization by 2025.
She cited recent measures such as distributing profits of the state-owned Milco dairy company to farmers for the first time in 21 years and providing disaster relief during the Ditwah cyclone without relying on new borrowing.
The Prime Minister also identified drug abuse as a major concern, saying it has fueled family conflicts and public insecurity. She said the president has pledged to eliminate dangerous drugs and that police have now been instructed to strictly enforce the law, while the judiciary is functioning independently.
Despite progress, PM acknowledged gaps in legal protection, particularly for women and children facing violence. She said the government is expanding judicial capacity to speed up the resolution of such cases.
On education, she said the government is working to provide quality schooling for all children, including recruiting graduate teachers for the first time in five years and filling long-standing vacancies for school principals. Infrastructure development is underway, she said, with plans to develop one school in each administrative division, introduce smart classrooms in all secondary schools and roll out a new curriculum for Grade 1 students.
She also highlighted gender inequality in the labour force, noting that women contribute significantly to the economy but often receive the lowest wages. She said greater support systems, including childcare facilities, are needed to enable women to engage in employment and self-employment. (Newswire)