President calls for more women on Boards and management

President Ranil Wickremesinghe and SLPP MP Dhammika Perera in conversation during the launch of Global Gestures for Empowerment of women and girls against harassment by DP Education on Friday at Nelum Pokuna Theatre 

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President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday called for more women on corporate Boards and management as one of the measures to truly empower educated women.

He made this suggestion during his keynote at the launch of the world’s first of its kind Global Gestures for Empowerment of women and girls against harassment by DP Education, the philanthropic initiative of business leader turned SLPP MP Dhammika Perera.

“Remarkably, women are increasingly excelling in education, yet impediments persist. It falls upon us to dismantle these barriers. Our focus must be on affirming women’s rights in Sri Lanka and ensuring their rightful representation,” said the President adding that women cannot be kept at the lower end of the management but upper.

He also revealed that on the part of the Government, presented before Parliament are the Women’s Empowerment Bill and the Gender Equality Bill, which are pivotal instruments for enacting a national policy on gender parity and women’s empowerment. These bills advocate for the establishment of a National Commission on Women, equipped to safeguard women’s rights and pursue justice for any violations thereof. Furthermore, a specialised commission will address instances of violence against women, providing prompt remedies as needed,” Wickremesinghe said.

The President also said Sri Lanka must augment female representation in local government elections following the presidential and general elections. “It is our aspiration to ensure at least a 25% representation of women in parliamentary seats and to bolster their presence in provincial councils. Additionally, efforts are underway to acknowledge women’s political rights. By 2030, we must promote minimum representation of women in politiebureau of a party if it is to be registered,” the President added.

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