Fighting the good fight

Wednesday, 9 March 2016 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

What does Women’s Day really mean to women? In simple terms, it is a day to reflect, celebrate the victories and evaluate the challenges ahead. It is a chance for each of the billions of women around the world to choose to continue the fight for equal rights, representation and opportunity.

For Sri Lanka, there are many fronts to the fight for gender equality. Although Sri Lanka produced the world’s first female Prime Minister and South Asia’s first female President, it ranks 140 out of 153 countries in terms of female representation in Parliament (less than 6%), which is one of the lowest in the world. This low participation of women in politics could be due to various cultural, social, economical and political reasons. However, it is tragic that most women in Sri Lankan politics enter the field upon the demise of a family member in politics, by basically volunteering to fill the political vacuum created by the death of a husband or father, usually emerging as a deeply-driven force demanding justice for the dead family member.

Women were used in the past and are still being used as ‘substitutes’ for men in our country. This is what needs to change. The necessity for a new political culture concerning women, one which promotes and uplifts female participation in active politics, is urgent. This social change is not only required in politics but also in women’s education, health, economic stability, reproductive rights, safety and independence.

It wouldn’t be right to state that nothing has been done in the past to uplift social standards of women. Many steps have been taken, yet the implementation of measures has been limited. For example, the Sri Lanka’s Women’s Charter, approved by the Government in 1993, insists that the country must guarantee a reasonable proportion of women in the nomination procedure at elections, while the National Action Plan on the Rights of Women seeks to ensure 30% minimum representation of women at national level politics. But even efforts by the Government to increase the number of women in Local Government are met with dashed coconuts by the Opposition, highlighting the deep fissure of parity representation.

A similar need exists in corporate boardrooms too. Sri Lanka’s economy is powered by women, given their engagement in apparel, tea and migrant labour – three major earners of foreign exchange. A sizeable number is employed in white collar jobs and in senior management too, although only a few have found their way or been invited to serve on boards of directors. The latter is a global challenge.

Overall, most women’s issues still remain unsolved in Sri Lanka. Not only do they sometimes become victims at their workplaces, but this fate also befalls them in their own homes due to sexual, mental or physical abuse. Astronomical rape and abuse continue to be reported, pushing women into stronger gender policing situations where their freedom of movement, independence and even the right to wear what they want is restricted. This is why a significant shift in thinking in the country’s social system is required. One thing is certain – for women, the battle continues.