Women MPs seek Parliamentary Select Committee to end gender-based discrimination

• 12 MPs hand motion to set up Select Committee to look into gender-based discrimination, violation of women’s rights
• Motion included in addendum to the Order Book of Parliament

Women Members of Parliament (MP) have handed in a motion to appoint a Select Committee to look into and give recommendations to ensure gender equity and equality with special emphasis on looking into gender-based discriminations and violation of women’s rights in Sri Lanka.   

The motion, signed by 12 women MPs, will be moved by State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics and COVID Disease Control Sudarshini Fernandopulle, who heads Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus in Parliament.

Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake said that the notice of motion has been included in to the addendum to the Order Book of Parliament.

In addition to Fernandopulle, the motion has also been signed by Minister Pavithradevi Wanniarachchi, State Minister Dr. Seetha Arambepola, Members of Parliament Harini Amarasuriya, Rohini Kumari Wijerathna, Thalatha Atukorale, Geetha Kumarasinghe, Kokila Gunawardena, Muditha Prashanthi, Rajika Wickramasinghe, Manjula Dissanayake and Diana Gamage.

The establishment of this Committee has proposed primarily to address the unresolved issues of the discriminated on the basis of gender as well as to ensure that gender equity and equality are promoted and respected and to ensure that all women and girls are empowered in Sri Lanka.

The MPs want the Committee to hear grievances of women on all sorts of gender-based discriminations including employment, promotional opportunities and harassments in work place. 

It also wants a review and advocating for the allocation of adequate domestic resources in all sectors and at all levels, and access to improve gender equity and equality in Sri Lanka; scrutinising and reviewing relevant laws, ensuring gender mainstreaming to prevent discrimination and negative impact on the lives of women and girls, and lobbying with relevant line Ministries and authorities to ensure gender responsive planning and budgeting.

The women MPs also want the Select Committee to look at lobbying and advocating for more women representation in decision-making bodies on national, provincial and local level, in public, civil society and in private sectors; reviewing measures for integration of gender equality principles at the national, provincial and local levels and encouraging public-private partnerships to improve gender equity and equality in Sri Lanka.