Thursday Mar 05, 2026
Thursday Mar 05, 2026
Thursday, 5 March 2026 03:50 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The United Nations in Sri Lanka has released a factsheet highlighting the continuing challenges faced by women and girls in the country, ahead of International Women’s Day.
Issued under the theme “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls,” the overview stresses that progress on gender equality remains constrained by gaps between formal legal protections and the everyday experiences of women.
The UN notes that shortcomings remain across several areas, including legal protection, economic participation, leadership representation, climate resilience and access to digital technologies.
In the area of legal justice, the factsheet states that 28 laws contain 67 provisions considered discriminatory towards women. These affect areas such as family law, employment, education, gender-based violence, abortion, sex work and citizenship.
Gender-based violence also remains a major concern. According to the UN, one in four women has experienced physical or sexual violence within intimate relationships, while nearly half of those affected did not seek formal support.
Harassment in public spaces is another persistent issue. Around 90% of women report experiencing sexual harassment on public transport, though only a small proportion of incidents are formally reported.
The report also highlights climate-related vulnerabilities, noting that natural disasters such as floods, droughts and landslides disproportionately affect women engaged in agriculture, fisheries and informal employment.
Climate shocks often increase unpaid care responsibilities and can disrupt access to maternal health services while also heightening the risk of gender-based violence, the UN notes.
In terms of economic participation, women’s labour force participation in Sri Lanka remains significantly lower than that of men. Women account for 31.6% of the labour force compared with roughly 70% for men, with unpaid care work identified as a major barrier to employment.
Women-led businesses also face a substantial financing gap estimated at around $ 17 billion, which limits opportunities for growth and expansion.
The factsheet further points to underrepresentation in leadership positions. Although women account for more than half of Sri Lanka’s population, they remain a minority in political decision-making.
Less than 10% of parliamentary seats are held by women, with only 22 women among the 225 Members of Parliament. Women also occupy only two of the 23 positions in the Cabinet of Ministers.
The UN also draws attention to disparities in digital access and safety. While 62% of women are considered digitally literate, only 34.6% are computer literate, highlighting a significant gap in digital skills.
Technology-facilitated gender-based violence is also increasing, with women and girls accounting for 58% of cybercrime complaints. Concerns about harassment and weak protections are seen as limiting women’s participation in online spaces.
The UN said that closing these gaps will require stronger legal safeguards as well as broader reforms across social, economic and digital spheres in order to ensure that women’s rights are fully realised in Sri Lanka.
