President urged to operationalise National Women’s Commission

As women and as victims of gender-based violence, we find this conduct of yours unconscionable. We demand that you enable the National Women’s Commission to function by allocating it sufficient finances, resources and an independent office space

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake

Over 135 women activists and organisations have jointly written to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to urgently operationalize the National Women’s Commission.

As political activists working with numerous communities across Sri Lanka, we have been observing increasing incidents of violence against women in the last few months. Violence at home, at the workplace, in public spaces and online continues unabated. Even the Prime Minister of the government you lead has not been spared from sexualised abuse and attacks online. Most recently, several women including Swasthika Arulingam have been subjected to sexualised verbal attacks online by Member of Parliament Ramanathan Archchuna.

 In order to submit complaints regarding these incidents, we attempted to reach the National Women’s Commission, whose members you recently appointed. The Commission has the power to, among other things, inquire into and investigate the infringement of women’s rights and receive complaints. We were, however, unable to find any way to reach the Commission, and upon making enquiries, were credibly informed that the Commission only exists on paper. The Commission has not been allocated a budget; does not have an independently situated office space; and does not have any staff or resources to function. It does not even have an official seal.

 Further as a response to a recent RTI request submitted by M. Juwairiya, your Secretariat has forwarded the RTI request to the Information Officer of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. This conduct of your Secretariat sent a clear indication to us, that the paper nomination of the National Women’s Commission is already made subordinate to a Ministry, which clearly violates the purpose, mandate and independence of the National Women’s Commission.

 The Commission is the result of hard-fought battles by many women of our time. You as the Executive President responsible for appointing the Commission violate your Constitutional mandate by deliberately leaving the National Women’s Commission inoperative. As a result, you also become responsible for enabling the culture of misogyny and sexism to further spread in our society without legal protections for victims. As women and as victims of gender-based violence, we find this conduct of yours unconscionable. We demand that you enable the National Women’s Commission to function by allocating it sufficient finances, resources and an independent office space. We further demand that the National Women’s Commission be given the political and financial space and means to function independent of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. We further demand that you provide a timeline as to when these measures will be taken and when the Commission will become fully operative. We look forward to your response at the earliest.

Endorsements

Individuals

1. Abdul Wahid Jeseela

2. Ajitha A.

3. Aliza Hussein 

4. Amalini De Sayrah

5. Amani Raji

6. Aneesa Firthous

7. Angela Forman

8. Angelica Chandrasekeran 

9. Anithra Varia 

10. Anjana Sivaharon

11. Anomaa Rajakaruna

12. Aqilah Nikhat Naleem

13. Ashila Dandeniya 

14. B. Sangeetha

15. Barathy Sivaraja

16. Bisliya Bhutto 

17. C. Ranitha Gnanarajah, AAL

18. C. Tozer

19. Chanu Nimesha

20. Chulani Kodikara

21. Dhammika de Silva

22. Dr Rajni Gamage

23. Dr. Amali Wedagedara

24. Dr. Misha'ari Weerabangsa

25. Dr. Sakuntala Kadirgamar

26. Duleeka Nonis 

27.E. A. Pathumika Thathsarani

28. F. Sanoosiya

29. Fairoos Ilma

30. Fathima Amra 

31. Fathima Sumaiya Frahath

32. Fawzul Himaya Hareed

33. Fawzul Rifaya

34. Fiyasa Muja

35. Gameela Samarasinghe

36.H.M. Chathurika Sewwandi, AAL

37. Hemalatha K.

38. Hemanthi Goonasekera

39. Ishani Ranasinghe 

40. Ismayil Aaysha Banu

41. Isuri Kumbukage

42. Ithayarani Sithravel

43. J. Sneha

44. Jasintha Subasinghe    

45. Jeyarasa vergin subashini

46. Joanne Senn

47. Juwairiya Mohideen 

48. K. Mahaluxmy

49. K. Mathana

50. K. Puspavathy

51. Kalani Subasinghe

52. Kamala Vasuki

53.Kanaka Abeygunawardana

54. Kandiah Rasaledsumi 

55. Kandiah Rasaledsumi 

56. Kounthini R. 

57. Kuvenitha S.

58. L. KASMY

59. Laveena Hasanthi      

60. M. Fathima shammama

61. M. Kiliyopedra

62. M. L. Zahra

63. M. Lasiya

64. M. Nithurshini

65. Manjula Moorthy

66. Marisa de Silva

67. Mariyarosari S.

68. Melani Gunathilaka

69. Melani Manel Perera        

70. Mohamed Majeed Jansila

71. Mujeeba Mujeeb 

72. Muqaddasa Abdul Wahid

73. Nabeela Iqbal

74. Nadeesha Hanwella 

75. Nalini Ratnarajah

76. Nehama Jayewardene

77. Nilmini Nonis   

78. Nimanthi Fernando, AAL 

79. Nirmala M.

80. Nirmala T.

81. Niththika S.

82. Nivanthini S.

83. P. Brintha

84. Padma Pushpakanthi

85. Prof. Sumathy Sivamohan (Retired, University of Peradeniya)

86. Prof. Vasuki Nesiah

87. Puni Selvaratnam

88. Queen Juliet Nalliah 

89. Rahman A.

90. Rajany Rajeswary

91. Raveendran V.

92. Rosita Fernando   

93. S. Jegathes Wary

94. S. Karthika

95. S. Mohana Dharshiny

96. S. Tamiliny

97. S. Yasothara

98. Safarij Bhutto

99. Safiya Riyaz

100. Sakina Mansoorally

101.Samiha Mohamed Muhsin

102. Sarankan K.

103. Saththiyaseelan K. 

104. Saththiyavanie Simon Sil a

105. Shabnam Farwin

106. Shamila Sheriff 

107. Shamini V.

108. Shirani Cooray       

109. Sirany Thevakumar

110. Sister Berni De Silva    

111. Sister Damitha De Silva     

112. Sister Deepa Fernando      

113. Sister Marian Evusta 

114. Sister Shandika Perera   

115. Sister Shiromi Fernando 

116. Siyana Niyas

117. Souminy Perinparajah

118. Subathra Yogasingham

119. Suganthini S.

120. Sujatha J.

121. Sulochana Peiris

122. Sumithra Sellathamby

123. Swasthika Arulingam, AAL

124. T. Fattima

125. T. Mallika

126. T. Shanthidevi

127. Tehani Ariyaratne

128.Tharushi Dishara Fernando, AAL

129. Thasneema Dahlan 

130. Thassim Samima

131. Thayalini J. 

132. Thiagi Piyadasa, AAL

133. Thileepan S.

134.Uma Shanika Pararajasingam

135. Vanie Simons

136. Venuja. Konsan Robert

137. Vimukthi  Desilva

138. Visakha Tillekeratne

Organisations

1. Islamic Women's Association for Research and Empowerment (IWARE)

2. Mannar Women's Development Federation

3. Movement of Christian Women's Voice (MoCWV)

4. Muslim Women's Development Trust (MWDT)

5. Puttalam District Women's Self Employment and Coexistence Forum

6. Sisterhood Initiative 

7. Standup Movement Lanka

8. Thean Aruvi Women's Center

9. Tholamai.V

10. Vallamai Movement for Social Change