2026-02-06
News Categories : Committee News
The Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus has submitted a request yesterday (Feb. 05) to the Hon. Speaker, requesting amendments to the Standing Orders of Parliament in order to prevent conduct or statements by Members of Parliament that result in women Parliamentarians being subjected to verbal harassment or insults within the parliamentary chamber.
The Tenth Parliament is distinguished as the parliament which has witnessed the highest number of elected women representatives. As the elected representatives of the people in a country that practices representative democracy, they discharge their duties both within and outside the Chamber. Although the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus has carried out symbolic programmes such as the annual “Orange Day,” as part of the “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence,” it has been observed that these initiatives have not been meaningfully reflected in the actual conduct within the parliamentary chamber. This observation is noted in the request submitted with the signatures of the Chairperson of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus, Minister of Women and Child Affairs, Hon. Saroja Savithri Paulraj, along with other members of the Caucus.
In particular, the Caucus emphasizes that a trend of verbal harassment, specifically targeting women Members of Parliament, has been observed over the recent past. It stresses that such conduct is not merely an issue affecting individuals, but constitutes a challenge to the sovereignty of the people, the right of women to freely express their views, and their right to participate in politics. Furthermore, it is stated that this situation also sets a negative precedent for the active participation of women in politics within society at large.
Accordingly, the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus proposes that the behaviour or speech of parliamentarians, both male and female, which results in verbal harassment or insults targeting women Members, must be curtailed. The proposal further notes that this can be implemented through the section pertaining to "Discipline in Parliament" under the Standing Orders.
Therefore, taking the above matters into consideration, the Caucus requests the Hon. Speaker to amend the Standing Orders by introducing a new Standing Order, so that appropriate action may be taken in this regard.
Several members representing the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus were present on this occasion.
2026-02-03
A discussion was recently held (Jan. 22) at the Parliament complex between the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus and the Association of Women with Disabilities (AKASA) regarding the rights, inclusion, and enabling the contribution of the community of persons with disabilities, including women with disabilities, to national development.This meeting was held under the patronage of the Chair of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus, Hon. Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj, where a group of representatives including the Chairperson of the Association of Women with Disabilities, Ms. N.G. Kamalawathi, were present.During the discussion, matters relating to the role of the Association of Women with Disabilities, as well as the issues, rights, and challenges currently faced by women with disabilities and the wider community of persons with disabilities, were presented to the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus.A number of issues were discussed, including the lack of access to public places and the fact that some existing facilities are not in compliance with standards, transportation difficulties, and challenges such as the inability, in some instances, to even open a bank account through certain banks. Proposals for solutions to these challenges were also discussed.The representatives, including the Chairperson of the Association of Women with Disabilities, emphasized the need to empower persons with disabilities through empathy rather than treating them with sympathy.The Chair of the Caucus noted that the opportunity given to Hon. Sugath Wasantha de Silva to represent persons with disabilities in Parliament for the first time in history is a positive step. She further stated that the Caucus and the Government expect the proposals and support of the Association of Women with Disabilities in the work being carried out on behalf of women with disabilities and the wider community.Subsequently, a discussion was also held with representatives including Mr. Sanje Vignaraja, Country Director of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD). Preliminary matters relating to the programmes planned to be implemented by the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus in 2026 with the support of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy were discussed.A group of Member Parliamentarians representing the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus also participated in this meeting.
2026-01-30
The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Agriculture and Resource Sustainability focused its attention on the impact of Cyclone ‘Dithwa’ on the agricultural sector and the environment, as well as the measures being taken to restore affected areas to normalcy.These matters were considered when the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Agriculture and Resource Sustainability met in Parliament on 22.01.2026, under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Hector Appuhamy.Officials representing the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation, the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure, the Ministry of Environment, and the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development participated in the meeting.During the meeting, the Chairman of the Committee inquired whether the officials representing the respective ministries had prepared data-based reports on the damage caused by Cyclone ‘Dithwa’. In response, the officials stated that assessments had been carried out and that reports estimating the damage had already been prepared. The committee was also briefed on these findings. In addition, officials representing the relevant departments and statutory bodies under each ministry presented the data available with their respective institutions to the committee.Following the presentation of data, the Chairman of the Committee sought clarification regarding the compensation to be provided for the damages incurred and the methodology for calculating such compensation. Officials from the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure stated that compensation payments would be made after the submission of a Cabinet Memorandum, and therefore indicated that they were unable to present further details at that stage.The Committee emphasized the importance of establishing a formal and systematic mechanism for the payment of compensation and instructed that the compensation process be expedited. The Committee further recommended that the reports prepared by each ministry on the impact of Cyclone ‘Dithwa’ be submitted to the Committee.Hon. Members of Parliament Attorney-at-Law Ajith P. Perera, Roshan Akmeemana, Chathuri Gangani, Susantha Kumara Nawaratne, Attorney-at-Law Bhagya Sri Herath, and Upul Kithsiri also participated in the committee meeting.
2026-01-29
The Sub-Committee on Youth Entrepreneurship, appointed by the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Education, Manpower and Human Capital, convened in Parliament on 21.01.2026 under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Sunil Rajapaksha, with the objective of taking necessary measures to nurture young entrepreneurs through the National Youth Services Council (NYSC).Officials representing the National Youth Services Council, Sri Lanka Export Development Board, Ministry of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, and local banks participated in the meeting.During the meeting, extensive discussions were held on the criteria formulated by the National Youth Services Council for the implementation of a program aimed at providing the required support to develop and empower young entrepreneurs. Discussions also focused on the support and collaboration that could be extended by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board, the Ministry of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, and local banks for this initiative.In addition, the committee paid attention to measures that could be taken to integrate university graduates into the entrepreneurship sector, as part of broader efforts to strengthen youth entrepreneurship in the country.Hon. Members of Parliament Chanaka Madugoda, Attorney-at-Law Nilusha Lakmali Gamage, and Krishnan Kalaichelvi also participated in the meeting of the sub-committee.
2026-01-29
The Committee on Public Finance of Parliament held extensive discussions on issues related to the gem and jewellery industry.These matters were discussed when the committee met in Parliament on 27.01.2026, under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Dr. Harsha de Silva. The meeting was attended by Hon. Deputy Ministers Chathuranga Abeysinghe, Dr. Kaushalya Ariyaratne, and Nishantha Jayaweera, as well as Hon. Members of Parliament Ravi Karunanayake, Harshana Rajakaruna, Nimal Palihena, and Wijesiri Basnayake.Representatives of several organizations representing different segments of the gem and jewellery industry and business sector briefed the committee on the challenges faced by their respective fields. They highlighted that the absence of a long-term national policy for the gem and jewellery industry has resulted in significant difficulties, and strongly emphasized the need to formulate a robust national policy for the sector.They further pointed out that the industry could be strengthened by relaxing existing regulations to encourage exports, reviewing and restructuring the role of the National Gem and Jewellery Authority, introducing safe harbour rules for income tax, implementing VAT reforms specific to the gem and jewellery industry, regulating foreign entities operating informally, and promoting foreign investment.In addition, industry representatives drew the committee’s attention to issues such as the prohibition on the use of scanning equipment during gem mining operations and the declining availability of land for existing mining activities, which pose serious challenges to the sector.In his concluding remarks, the Chairman of the Committee stated that the discussions helped identify key problem areas within the industry, particularly in relation to liberalization (both fiscal and physical), administration, and policy matters concerning mining operations. Accordingly, he emphasized that the committee intends to consolidate these issues into a comprehensive discussion paper and engage in a series of productive discussions with senior officials of the relevant ministries.
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