Ranil calls for more awareness on violence against women

In order to eliminate violence against women, perceptions must first be changed in Sri Lanka with regard to the issue, Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday.

Addressing a seminar on the Elimination of Violence Against Women organised by the National Trade Union Federation in collaboration with ILO, Wickemesinghe referred to the committee stage debates on the 2013 Budget which took place at the Women’s Affairs Ministry on Thursday.

He said that when UNP MP Chandani Bandara said that the Government was not taking action on the violence against women, a Government Minister responded by saying, “Why doesn’t anyone talk about the violence against men?”

“This is the level at which people perceive this issue even though women are in the majority in this country,” he said, adding that the Government should allocate at least Rs. 200 million for the Women’s Affairs Ministry, purely for awareness raising about the issue of violence against women. (DB)