Women’s representation in Legislature and corporate sector need to improve: Women’s rights groups

 By Himal Kotelawala

The significant drop in women’s representation in the decision making process in Sri Lanka needs to be addressed soon, Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce (WCIC) President Rifa Mustapha said.

Speaking at an International Women’s Day Commemoration titled ‘Inclusiveness and International Growth’ jointly organised by the Exports Development Board (EDB), the Commonwealth Businesswomen Network and the WCIC, Mustapha said that though there is a large share of female leaders in Commonwealth countries, women’s participation in government was woeful.

“Women’s participation in politics is very important to women empowerment. However, in Sri Lanka, women representation in the decision making process has dropped significantly,” she said, noting that the Government has taken steps to increase representation at the local level.

Commenting on women’s participation in the corporate world, Mustapha said that things could be better in Commonwealth countries including the South Asian region.

While globally women are half the world’s population, only 41% of the work sector comprise women, she said. Gains have been made over the years in labour force participation, but it’s still very slow, she added.“The gender gap persists, in terms of the type of job, payment disparities, lack of recognition for unpaid work

“According to a study conducted by the World Bank, companies with at least one female board member vastly outperform those with an all-male board. In fact, those boards boasted a return on assets of 3:1, three times better than the ratio of all male companies,” said Mustapha.

Board rooms in Commonwealth nations remain a male domain, she added.

Mustapha also spoke of the importance of uniting under the common banner of the Commonwealth Business Women’s Network.

“The fact that there are over 60,000 highly driven business women around the world across five continents who have gained the support and recognition of 53 governments is surely indicative of how far women have travelled in this journey of gender parity,” she said.

Quoting Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma, she said that gender equality is a human right and a fundamental principle of the Commonwealth. It is also a critical means of contributing to the Commonwealth’s goals of eradicating poverty, building resilient societies and economies, harmonious communities and promoting sustainable development.

In fact, that commitment was embedded in the Commonwealth plan of action for gender equality which ended last year, recalled Mustapha, adding that the onus was on the women, particularly those who have become entrepreneurs to fight the good fight.

“It is we who must stand up and fight for others who continue to find it difficult to raise their heads due to various challenges they face, primarily stemming from gender discrimination and thus inequality,” she said.

Acknowledging the pivotal role played by chambers such as the WICC in ensuring women’s empowerment, Mustapha said she strongly believes they have been and will continue to be a catalyst in elevating the strength of women.

Grant Group Chairperson and women’s rights activist Neela Marikkar who was recently awarded the ‘Outstanding Women Leadership Achievement’ by the World Women Leadership Congress (WWLC) also spoke at the event.

“Out of the top 25 companies of this country, only two or three of them have the token one woman on the board. That’s not good enough,” she said.

Women should not limit themselves, said Marikkar, adding that they have the passion to achieve a lot in their lives.