The Hon. (Mrs.) Saroja Savithri Paulraj – Minister of Women, Children and Social Empowerment

¶ 01 She has informed the Ministry by email that she resigned from the post of Chairperson. Likewise, there was no necessity for her to inform me personally. The Chairperson of an independent commission is appointed through the Constitutional Council including the President. Therefore, I believe there is no requirement for her to notify me, in writing or otherwise, about her resignation. I am very grateful to her. The resignation letter from the post of Chairperson is submitted to the President. Accordingly, as a Ministry, we are not aware of the reasons for that resignation. Personally, I have not undertaken an inquiry to ascertain specific reasons, because such intimation has to be made to the President.

¶ 02 Regarding this matter, I state the following. We received Budget Estimates for 2026 in May 2025. By May 2025, as a Ministry, we had already presented budget proposals for 2026. At that time, the National Commission on Women had not been commenced, nor had related activities begun. It was in September 2025 that advertisements were published, applications were called to select members, and selections for the National Commission on Women were made through the Constitutional Council. Therefore, based on a request from the National Budget Department to allocate additional provisions for the National Commission on Women for 2026, a sum of Rs. 50 million was allocated, and arrangements are being made to obtain funds through a Supplementary Estimate.

¶ 03 An Executive Director has been appointed to carry out the duties of this Independent Commission, the National Commission on Women, with effect from 7 January 2026. From that date, she commenced this workstream and has been taking steps to find suitable office space and attend to other related matters.

¶ 04 In truth, from September last year up to now, there has been no premises for institutional operations. Our Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs is currently functioning on the 3rd Floor of Sethsiripaya, an administrative building under the Ministry of Urban Development. There is vacant space there. Upon receipt of the required allocations, and until a separate independent location is found, we informed that the Executive Director could, if necessary for her official duties, temporarily use that space. That is not an interference with, nor a curtailment of, the Commission’s independence.

¶ 05 I believe our Hon. Leader of the Opposition will appreciate this. The independence of a commission is not determined by how far away physically it is located in a building, but by the degree of interference in its affairs. We have not interfered in any way. The physical distance of a location does not determine a commission’s independence. I believe the Hon. Leader of the Opposition will understand that.

¶ 06 Until a suitable permanent premises is secured for the National Commission on Women, a temporary space within the premises of the Urban Development Authority—currently maintained on a rental basis within our Ministry’s office floor at the 3rd Floor of Sethsiripaya—was allocated. The Commission’s Executive Director assumed duties on 7 January 2026. Accordingly, until the Commission recruits its permanent staff, the Ministry’s permanent staff can provide board/secretarial support to prepare recruitment documentation, process budget requests, and related tasks. Recruitment procedures to hire permanent staff for the Commission have been prepared and the approval of the Department of Management Services is being obtained. Once that approval is received, the Commission will proceed to appoint permanent staff. Based on the above, we state that there has been no impact whatsoever on the statutory independence of the Commission.

¶ 07 At present, no such commission is operating within the premises of the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs. We accept—and the Ministry and the Government accept—that the independence of the National Commission on Women must be safeguarded. We are not operating any such commission within our Ministry. Facilities for them to function have been made available at the current office premises—on the 3rd Floor of Sethsiripaya where the Urban Development Authority is situated—where the Women’s Committee is currently functioning, which can be used if necessary.

¶ 08 There is no attempt by the Government to convert this Commission into a unit of the Ministry. Once a suitable premises is selected for establishing the Commission and an appropriate location is identified, the Commission can commence its functions there.

¶ 09 The recruitment scheme prepared for hiring a permanent staff for this Commission has obtained the approval of the Department of Management Services. Accordingly, the Commission will proceed to recruit permanent staff. The Commission has the space and discretion to select a suitable premises on its own; the members are empowered to identify and choose that premises. Therefore, we categorically state that there is no intention whatsoever to render the National Commission on Women—which stands for women’s rights in our country—ineffective. This is an independent commission that took many years—about 30 years—of advocacy to establish, and the opportunity to establish it in line with those requests came during our tenure.

¶ 10 Thank you.

¶ 11 Answer to Question No. 7 tabled:

¶ 12 Mandate of the National Commission on Women

¶ 13 Under Section 6 of the Women’s Empowerment Act, No. 37 of 2024, the National Commission on Women shall exercise and perform the following powers, functions and duties for realizing the objects of the Act, including: - Inquiring into and investigating violations or imminent violations of women’s rights; receiving and handling complaints in accordance with Part XI of the Act. - With the leave of court, intervening in legal proceedings concerning a violation or imminent violation of women’s rights. - Formulating a National Policy on Women’s Development and Empowerment, including mechanisms and processes to realize the Act’s objectives, pursuant to Section 7 of the Act. - Preparing a basic framework, consistent with the National Policy, to assure and facilitate women’s empowerment. - Holding public inquiries on violations or imminent violations of women’s rights. - Initiating legal proceedings, ex mero motu, in a court of competent jurisdiction regarding violations or imminent violations of women’s rights. - Taking such steps as may be directed by a court—Supreme Court or any other court—in matters relating to women’s rights. - Requiring any person to furnish information or documents, or to attend, for the purpose of discharging functions assigned under the Act or regulations made thereunder. - Ensuring conformity with constitutional provisions on women’s rights; promoting recognition of and monitoring women’s rights; conducting inquiries and investigations into complaints. - Establishing interaction and coordination with boards of state institutions to promote common policies and practices and to address complaints handled by the Commission. - Opening regional and provincial offices. - Acquiring, holding and disposing of movable and immovable property by purchase, grant, gift or otherwise; and selling, mortgaging, leasing, gifting, assigning, alienating, transferring, exchanging or otherwise disposing of such property. - Conducting awareness programmes and disseminating information on internationally recognized conventions relating to women’s rights. - Referring a woman, either on a complaint received or suo motu, to mediation in accordance with the provisions herein. - Making recommendations to the Government and the Minister regarding: (i) Steps to harmonize domestic laws, policies and administrative practices with internationally accepted standards on women’s rights; and (ii) Drafting necessary legislative and administrative measures and procedures to respect, promote, protect and fulfill women’s rights. - Reviewing laws, policies and practices relating to women’s rights and making recommendations to relevant institutions, with a view to improving coordination among agencies dealing with complaints of gender-based and domestic violence against women. - Taking measures to ensure equality and protection for women of various categories and strata identified by regulations made under the Act. - Monitoring and evaluating adherence by private persons and non-state entities to policies and practices insofar as they relate to women’s rights. - Conducting research to enhance the promotion and protection of women’s rights and to raise awareness and provide education on matters relating to women’s rights. - Receiving grants, gifts or donations from local or foreign sources, subject to prior written approval of the Department of External Resources. - Providing, at its discretion, reasonable financial assistance to a victim to defray costs of making a complaint to the Commission under this Act. - Making rules on matters required by the Act to be prescribed. - Doing all such other acts as may be necessary or expedient for the purpose of giving effect to the provisions and objectives of the Act.