UNITE! Activism to End Violence against Women and Girls: Women Parliamentarians Stand in Unity with the Global Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV)
With the current economic crisis, Sri Lanka is facing new vulnerabilities. Even prior to the crisis, women and the girl child did not enjoy complete freedom, opportunities and safety due to the grave human rights violation of gender-based violence. The Women’s Wellbeing Survey 2019 conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics reported that during their lifetime, 20 percent of the ever-partnered women have faced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner and that 25 percent of women have experienced physical or sexual violence by a partner or a non-partner after 15 years of age. 18 percent expressed that they were subjected to economic abuse by a partner in their lifetime. 21 percent of the women who experienced violence by a partner had never expressed it to anyone before the interviews.
The economic crisis has certainly made these already vulnerable individuals at further risk. High inflation rates and the resulting hunger, nutritional crisis, expenditure struggles at homes, rising poverty levels, social unrest, reduction in healthcare assistance including reproductive health and other services would only make women and girls more vulnerable to gender based violence and its resultant adverse impact on them.
“The global theme of the campaign 2022 is “UNITE! Activism to end violence against women and girls.” It emphasizes that without unity GBV cannot be combatted, thus calling on governments, development partners, CSOs, youth, media and all other stakeholders to come together to fight against GBV. Therefore, the 16 days of activism against GBV is an important advocacy period for our goal to advocate for and ensure equal grounds for women in Sri Lanka.” Hon. (Dr.) (Mrs.) Sudarshini Fernandopulle, Chairperson, Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus (WPC).
“GBV is nothing new to women in Sri Lanka. We as women have to face it always. But, that doesn’t make it okay. We cannot let it be normalized. As women parliamentarians we always face verbal violence based on our gender. During elections, and whenever someone needs to disgrace us, the most common weapon used is our gender roles and the stereotypical thinking that stigmatized our roles in the public sphere and stepping out of the house to be a leader in politics, as a female parliamentarian. We should fight this. We should fight any form of GBV.” Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kaviratne, Deputy Co- Chairperson, WPC.
“Today we enter into this year’s 16 days of global activism against GBV, within this grave context in Sri Lanka. As women parliamentarians, we take it very seriously. We have always sought to bring about, or at least improve gender equality in Sri Lanka as peoples’ representatives.” Hon. (Mrs.) Geetha Kumarasinghe, State Minister of Women and Child Affairs.
“We urge all Sri Lankans to have zero tolerance for any kind of violence or sexual harassment committed against any human being by showing strong aversion coupled with adequate responses expressing zero tolerance for such acts of GBV. It is our indifference that causes the perpetrators to normalize these human rights violations they commit. So, we should act, not be silent and passive observers.” Hon. (Mrs.) Diana Gamage, State Minister of Tourism.
“We understand that this is an era where society has lost trust in parliamentarians in general. However, despite our party differences, we, as twelve female parliamentarians, stand in unity with the global community to fight against GBV, particularly to empower women in Sri Lanka to stand against GBV.” Hon. (Mrs.) Manjula Dissanayake, Member of WPC.
“The Caucus is in the process of supporting the drafting of a Women’s Bill to be presented to parliament. However, we are also conscious that laws alone do not effect change and that there is a lot of work that needs to be done institutionally and politically to ensure that the bill when passed will make a meaningful difference in the lives of women in Sri Lanka.” Hon. (Dr.) (Ms.) Harini Amarasuriya, Member of WPC.
To stand in solidarity with this global movement, the female parliamentarians will be carrying out a series of advocacy measures starting from 25th November. They are conducting two panel discussions on combating GBV on 28th and 29th November and also a press conference on 1st December. On the day of the press conference, a wristband with the message “Let’s Unite to end Gender Based Violence” will be tied on Parliamentarians as a solidarity measure and all lady MPs will be invited to come in Orange attire. This will take place in the recently established Gender and Social Inclusion Section of the Parliament Library which contains publications relevant to gender equality and social inclusion available for reference by all MPs. All these activities will be carried out hand in hand with the Parliament Communications Department and the Parliament Secretariat in the hope of raising awareness among Parliamentarians and the public against GBV.
2026-09-08
The Co-Chairs of the Parliamentary Caucus for Open Parliament Initiative stated that steps will be taken to present to Parliament the views and proposals put forward during the “Voice to Policy” dialogue series organized for youth, with the aim of promoting the concept of an Open Parliament.They made these remarks while participating in the “Voice to Policy” programme held last Saturday (Sep. 05) at the Golden Crown Hotel in Kandy for youth in the Kandy District. The Co-Chairs of the Parliamentary Caucus for Open Parliament Initiative, Hon. Minister Prof. Krishantha Abeyasena and Hon. Member of Parliament Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam, participated in the programme.The first programme of the “Voice to Policy” dialogue series was held in the Gampaha District, the second in the Batticaloa District, and the third in the Kandy District. Members of the Caucus, Hon. Members of Parliament S.M. Marikkar, Attorney-at-Law Susanta Dodawatte, Attorney-at-Law Chamindrani Kiriella, Attorney-at-Law Thushari Jayasinghe, Lal Premanath, Major General (Retired) G.D. Sooriyabandara and M.K.M. Aslam, as well as Assistant Secretary-General of Parliament Mr. Hansa Abeyratne and others, participated in the programme held in Kandy.The young people who participated in the programme representing the Kandy District identified the challenges they face under five key themes: economic opportunities and employment; public administration and accountability; social inclusion and justice; political participation and representation; and other matters.They also proposed solutions to the identified issues and identified the relevant government institutions that could be held responsible for addressing them. The young participants subsequently presented the issues and proposals to members of the Caucus. Based on these proposals, an extensive dialogue was held between representatives of the Parliamentary Caucus for Open Parliament Initiative and the youth of the Kandy District.Members of the Caucus stated that their objective is to bring the views and proposals of youth to Parliament. They further assured that steps would be taken to submit to Parliament a report containing the views and proposals presented during the “Voice to Policy” programmes conducted to date, and to take the necessary measures to further engage young people with parliamentary processes and activities.The programme was sponsored by CII (Coalition for Inclusive Impact).
2026-09-07
The Select Committee of Parliament to conduct a comprehensive study on the lack of preparedness to face Cyclone Ditwah and report to Parliament and submit its proposals and recommendations in that regard recently questioned senior officials of the Sri Lanka Police who were involved in responding to the disaster at the time.The questioning took place when the Committee met recently at Parliament under the chairmanship of Hon. Minister (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa.Accordingly, a group of Senior Superintendents of Police and Superintendents of Police from the districts affected by Cyclone Ditwah were summoned before the Committee.Former Member of Parliament Nimal Piyatissa was also summoned before the Committee. He was called to provide detailed information regarding comments he made to the media concerning the measures taken in response to the cyclone at the time it occurred.Members of Parliament serving on the Committee also participated in the meeting.
2026-09-07
The 13th meeting of the Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities was held recently at Parliament under the chairmanship of Hon. Sugath Wasantha de Silva, Chair of the Caucus.The meeting focused on the draft action plan of the Caucus prepared for the period from July 2026 to June 2027, and discussions were held on its implementation going forward.Prepared with the technical assistance of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), the action plan has been developed under four key areas: parliamentary coordination and oversight; budget advocacy and accountability; legal and policy reforms; and accessible and inclusive public services. The meeting discussed future actions relating to each of these areas.IFES Sri Lanka Deputy Director Mr. Indraka Ubesekara, Senior Programme Officer Ms. Anojitha Sivaskaran, and National Council for Persons with Disabilities member Mr. Tikiri Kumara Jayawardena briefed the Caucus on the work carried out to date and the plans for the future.The importance of incorporating the views and needs of persons with disabilities into planning at the local level was also highlighted. Based on the experiences of district-level consultation programmes conducted in Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Kalutara and Polonnaruwa, it was noted that a similar programme is scheduled to be held in the Hambantota District in the future.Discussions were also held on establishing an appropriate mechanism to ensure the active participation of the disability community in the preparation of local development plans through district-level accessibility audit committees and district coordinating committees. It was further pointed out that incorporating accessibility features from the initial stages of building and urban planning can help minimize the costly modifications that may otherwise be required at a later stage.The meeting was also informed that a report comprising 234 policy and practical proposals, prepared with the participation of nearly 60 organizations representing the disability community for the 2027 National Budget, has already been submitted to the Presidential Secretariat, the Ministry of Finance and relevant government institutions. The Caucus decided to closely monitor how these proposals are implemented and whether they result in tangible benefits for persons with disabilities.Attention was also drawn to further strengthening the existing legal and policy framework to safeguard the rights of persons with disabilities and ensure accessibility. It was decided to hold a special discussion with officials of the relevant ministries and the Legal Draftsman’s Department to inquire into the progress of the proposed “New Bill on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities” and the “Sign Language Bill”, which are currently being drafted.The meeting also discussed the need to update existing legal provisions and standards relating to accessibility for persons with disabilities in line with international best practices. Proposals were put forward to introduce accessibility guidelines for private-sector institutions and gradually incorporate them into the legal framework, as well as to implement a pilot project with several selected private institutions.Special attention was also given to making public services more accessible and inclusive. The meeting discussed the findings of accessibility audits conducted at the Ministry of Labour’s “Mehewara Piyasa” building and Sethsiripaya Buildings Phases I and II. It was also noted that steps have been taken to ensure that the construction of Sethsiripaya Phase III is designed to be accessible to persons with disabilities from the outset.In addition, programmes such as low-floor bus services, accessible tourism for persons with disabilities, and the “Friendly Cities” programme were identified as models for improving accessibility within public services. Attention was also drawn to removing accessibility barriers faced by persons with disabilities when accessing healthcare services.Addressing the meeting at its conclusion, the Chair of the Caucus, Hon. Sugath Wasantha de Silva, stated that one of the Caucus’s primary objectives is to create an environment in which the disability community can lead free, independent and dignified lives without fear or uncertainty.The Chair further stated that Parliament would continue to fulfil its role in giving priority to the voices of persons with disabilities when making decisions concerning them, and in ensuring their participation in every sector of society. He also expressed his appreciation to all Members of Parliament, IFES and other stakeholders who have contributed to this work.The meeting was attended by Hon. Members of Parliament, including (Dr.) Nihal Abeysinghe, Attorney-at-Law Susantha Dodawatte, Padmasiri Bandara, (Dr.) Elayathamby Srinath, Attorney-at-Law Bhagya Sri Herath and Chandima Hettiarachchi, among others.
2026-09-03
The Committee on Ways and Means of Parliament recently reviewed the operations of Sri Lanka Customs, including its revenue performance. The matter was considered when the Committee met recently under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Wijesiri Basnayake.Officials, including the Director General of Customs, informed the Committee that the expected Customs revenue as of June 30, 2026, was Rs. 1,060,559 million, while actual revenue collected by that date amounted to Rs. 1,379,084 million. This represented 130% achievement against the expected revenue target. Officials further informed the Committee that Customs had generated revenue exceeding the monthly targets in every month of the year to date, and that, compared with 2025, higher revenue performance had been recorded in each month.Providing information on vehicle imports in 2026, officials stated that 316,000 vehicles had been imported as of June 30, 2026, generating Rs. 512,547 million in tax revenue. According to the information presented to the Committee, the highest amount of tax revenue, Rs. 386,726 million, had been generated through the importation of motor vehicles.Furthermore, among the categories of commodities generating the highest Customs revenue, petrol motor cars less than 1,000cc ranked first, generating Rs. 137.4 billion. This represented 9.96% of total revenue.The Committee also focused on matters including the volume of imported containers and the procedures followed for their inspection, the introduction of modern technology to improve the efficiency of Sri Lanka Customs operations, challenges in revenue administration, and future plans.Several Members of the Committee on Ways and Means, together with officials representing the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and Sri Lanka Customs, participated in the Committee meeting.
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