Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya said that no regressive forces should be allowed to reverse the victory achieved by Sri Lankan society with the highest representation of women in the history of Parliament.
The Prime Minister was addressing a press conference conducted by the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus in Parliament yesterday in line with International Women’s Day.
She said though the highest number of female Parliamentarians in Parliament previously was 13, this time it has increased to 22, which is a victory for the entire Sri Lankan society. She said that this achievement was not a sudden occurrence but the result of a historical struggle by women in the country. This confirms the incorrectness of the prevailing notion that women cannot engage in politics and governance, she said.
The Premier highlighted that despite this achievement, there are groups attempting to turn it into a cultural battle by launching attacks based on cultural aspects against women. She said that such efforts should not be allowed in any way and that the victory achieved must be safeguarded and further expanded. She reaffirmed the commitment to systematically eliminate the barriers to women’s representation and leadership across all sectors, creating a society where everyone can live with fairness, equality, and security. The Prime Minister also expressed her appreciation for the significant role played by the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus in this regard.
Minister of Women and Child Affairs Saroja Savithri Paulraj said that a Women’s Week has been declared in line with this year’s International Women’s Day, during which a series of programs will be implemented. This time, a large number of previously unheard voices are being represented in Parliament and that the goal is to use this as a driving force for the country’s future development.
She said this time, a significant number of women had entered Parliament based on their political and social activism rather than political family backgrounds. She said that the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus will continue to work towards increasing women’s representation and ensuring women’s safety in the Tenth Parliament.
Deputy Co-Chairperson of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus, Chamindranee Kiriella, expressed her satisfaction as an Opposition Member of Parliament that the representation of women in the Tenth Parliament has reached 10 percent. However, she said that compared to the 25 percent representation in Local Government bodies and other countries in the region, this figure is not satisfactory. She said that in Pakistan’s Parliament, female representation is approximately 30 percent. She stressed the importance of working collectively, beyond party differences, to address the issues faced by women in the country.
