Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow 

The world today is perhaps more in crisis than it has ever been. No country or community is removed from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, socio-political tensions, threats to human rights and a worsening climate crisis. These global issues affect individuals and groups differently – and in some cases more deeply – because of inequalities which are built into our societies and systems. 

 Crises worsen inequalities 

 As we mark International Women’s Day this year, we are more mindful than ever that women in Sri Lanka still lag far behind their male counterparts in the rights, freedoms, and opportunities afforded to them. Women’s political representation and opportunities to participate in environments free from violence and discrimination remain dismally low. Only a third of Sri Lankan women participate in the economy, and one in four Sri Lankan women have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. 

We are also mindful that in times of crisis – whether it be conflicts, pandemics such as COVID-19, or the effects of climate change and disasters – these inequalities have deepened, and women have experienced more varied and worsening challenges and harm. 

In Sri Lanka, such times have been synonymous with spikes in violence against women. During and after the conflict, women who had become heads of households, those with disabilities, and those vulnerable in other ways reported greater physical or sexual violence. During the pandemic, complaints of sexual and gender-based violence – physical and online – have reached alarming highs while lockdowns have left victim-survivors of domestic violence trapped with their abusers. During natural disasters, the lack of secure and private spaces for displaced communities has often been noted as a factor in violence against affected women. 

Times of crisis are also synonymous with women’s decreasing participation or inability to participate in society, including the economy. This has been particularly apparent around the world, especially during the pandemic, where social norms which restrict caregiving roles to women has led to women leaving the workforce in large numbers to cope with the increased care burdens during lockdowns. 

With women’s economic engagement and ability to engage in paid work playing a major role in their empowerment and freedom, women’s withdrawal from the workforce is an alarming sign of the shrinking space and safety for women in the public sphere. For instance, through our work with the Government of Australia, it was found that in Mannar, the majority of women with a monthly income of less than Rs. 20,000 are daily wage workers who do not receive any livelihood assistance. Many small-scale businesses were also unable to cope with the impact of the pandemic.  

Similarly, in times of disaster and climate change, women’s limited access to resources such as land and credit, combined with socially restrictive norms and perceptions on the roles and abilities of women, exclude them from steps towards recovery and sustainable transformation. The recent flooding in Mannar is also an example of how damaged crops and harvests have impacted households in a myriad of ways.

Women and girls are powerful change-makers 

 Without gender equality today, a sustainable future and an equal future remains beyond our reach. But we remain hopeful. Amidst discrimination, violence and crisis, women in Sri Lanka have time and again led and transformed communities. Some of our greatest movements for justice and peace have been led or co-led by women. Although few, women in leadership – political, corporate, social, and otherwise – have made, and continue to make their mark. Youth-led movements – particularly girls and young women – continue to challenge and transform social norms and prescriptions around gender.  

We have also seen structures change for the better, including the 25% quota for women’s representation in local government, along with ongoing work on making state and private institutions more sensitive and accessible to women. 

These are transformative changes to be proud of. While change is still slow, with increasing and worsening times of crisis, the need for gender equality is more urgent than ever. Gender equality and the empowerment of women are not issues separate to crisis. They are at the heart of recovering from and preventing crises, and long-term sustainability. Societies cannot sustainably develop if more than 50% of the population is consistently experiencing harm and discrimination and if they are not equally protected and empowered to choose, participate and lead in political, economic, and social development.  

This International Women’s Day, we call on every Sri Lankan to commit to empowering women around them and to actively fight the norms and inequalities that constantly surround us. This is a continuing process of learning, challenging, and changing – for ourselves and for our communities.  

Working towards full equality – not only in terms of gender, but also in terms of disability, race, religion, sexual orientation and wealth is essential to sustainable development. Without women’s leadership, knowledge and participation, our collective vision for a sustainable planet, an equal world, and consistent progress will never be realised.   

UN Women in Sri Lanka will continue to support and enable the full equality of genders, and the empowerment and participation of women in every sphere, in recognition of the equality of all persons, and that this equality is at the heart of true sustainable development. 

 (The writer is the Country Focal Point at UN Women in Sri Lanka. She has served in different capacities in various international development agencies and local not-for-profit organisations, including the UNDP Regional Centre in Colombo, Care International, Save the Children, and the Centre for Policy Alternatives. She has over 14 years of experience in international development and has worked extensively on issues pertaining to gender equality and women’s rights with a special focus on governance, peace and security issues.)