Closing gender gap is economic strategy, boosts country’s GDP: Prime Minister

• Unpaid care and domestic work accounted for 36% of Sri Lanka’s GDP in 2017 as per National Time Transfer Account
• Out of 52% of Lankan women population, only 10% is represented in the Parliament
• Technological-facilitated violence heightens the vulnerability of local marginalised women groups
• 28 discriminatory laws hinder women’s full potential and dignity
• Women and girls in marginalised groups are more vulnerable to climate change threats
• Japan’s experience in unlocking women’s economic potential offers Sri Lanka cues

By Randima Attygalle

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Sri Lanka, on Wednesday launched a series of evidence-based reports at a forum under the banner –  ‘Unlocking the Gender Dividend: Driving Policy Change Through Knowledge’. 

The reports which lobby for closing the gender gaps in the country across multiple landscapes, were formally handed over to Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya who delivered the keynote address at the event.

The reports titled, ‘Barriers to Women’s Political Participation in Sri Lanka’, ‘Gendered Vulnerabilities to Climate Change in Sri Lanka in the Context of the Economic Crisis’, ‘Gender Discrimination in Sri Lanka: Law, Policy and Practice’, ‘Research Study on Technology-Facilitated Violence Experienced by Women and Marginalised Groups in Sri Lanka’ and ‘Counting and valuing women’s work in Sri Lanka’, provide policymakers, researchers, and civil society with critical evidence and policy recommendations to address persistent gender inequalities and emerging challenges in the country and create a more inclusive and equitable Lankan society. 

Remarking that the report-findings can fuel six-priority areas for the country, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya pointed out that the National Commission on Women which is mandated by the Women’s Empowerment Act No. 37 of 2024 is among the top. The premier further stated that this commission is committed to ensure that the women’s rights are not just words, but they mean enforcement. The Commission is also to champion political pathways, legal reform, digital safety and climate resilience, she said.

“Old approaches will not deliver an inclusive view,” maintained the Prime Minister who urged to move

 from law and policy on paper to real action and thereby unlock the gender dividend. “Closing gender gaps would increase Sri Lanka’s GDP. This is not only a social tool, but an economic strategy that strengthens their family well-being and national development.” Reminding that safety and dignity of women are ‘non-negotiable’, Prime Minister also said that the newly launched report-findings also signal for a ‘care- economy’ which recognises women’s unpaid contribution to child and elderly care, enhances professionalism of care-givers and provides more flexible work arrangements.

Reiterating that the law must work with people, the Prime Minister underlined that it should move from “statute to the police desk, to the hospital, the courtroom, the workplace and family.” Adding that the “climate action which does not reach women, is unfinished work,” she also said that women farmers and other coastal communities should be empowered to adapt and thrive in a setting marked by unprecedented climate change. Noting that “no woman is safe until every woman is safe,” the premier also remarked that inclusion and digital safety need to be made part of the Blueprint as the country is on the path to embrace an inclusive digital economy by 2030.

UNFPA Sri Lanka Country Representative Kunle Adeniyi remarked that the report-findings affirm Sri Lanka’s growth, resilience, and demographic future depend on unlocking the gender dividend. “This is about ensuring more women can enter the workforce, more women can lead, and more families can prosper,” remarked UNFPA Sri Lanka Country Representative who cited the success story of Japan from which Sri Lanka can draw.

Faced with rapid ageing and low fertility, Japan recognised that growth is not just a numbers issue but a gendered one. Japan invested in unlocking women’s economic potential by expanding childcare, changing work norms, and enabling flexible jobs. Within just a decade, female labour force participation rose from 63% to 74%—adding millions of women to the workforce and boosting GDP. “Japan’s experience shows us that policy design, not destiny, determines the outcome. Sri Lanka today stands at a similar juncture. Rebuilding after the economic crisis, navigating ageing, and experiencing out-migration, the choices we make now will shape the next generation,” remarked Adeniyi who further pointed out that unlocking women’s participation is critical to sustain growth and resilience with a shrinking labour force.

Reiterating that commitment and evidence alone are not enough, but what matters is implementation, Adeniyi averred: “our task is to ensure policies are translated into practice, guided by data and evidence, and backed by collaboration. And we cannot do this alone.” Calling upon government leadership, civil society action, private-sector innovation, and the support of development partners to “tip the balance” for transformative results, the UNFPA Country Representative further noted that such action will reap the returns on Sri Lanka’s decades of investment in girls’ and women’s education and health and convert them into national development.