The Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari Wijerathna

¶ 01 [11.25 a.m.]

¶ 02 Hon. Deputy Speaker, thank you for this opportunity, and I request that the time taken in changing the Chair be granted to me.

¶ 03 As the senior-most woman MP in the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus, I am pleased to second today’s Adjournment Motion, brought on the occasion of International Women’s Day by the Caucus, and moved by Hon. Samanmali Gunasingha.

¶ 04 This year’s theme is “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls.” Throughout history we have spoken of rights, taken action, and more remains to be done. Today we speak of another field needing action, and we must ask whether justice is being done.

¶ 05 I saw in the media today a report — I will not name the place — of a young woman’s body in a hospital mortuary being subjected to sexual assault. As a country, we must condemn this, and ensure all responsible are brought to justice.

¶ 06 Today’s topic is the unseen engine of this country. We often see the working woman as the apparel worker, the tea plucker, the outwardly-employed woman. But there is another vast labour force: the mother, wife, and daughter who receive no salary, take no leave, and work more than 18 hours a day within the home. Without their silent service, even men could not go to work. Feeding children, caring for sick parents and relatives, sustaining the household unit — her effort is immense. In an equitable society, the steadfast pillar is the woman who resumes work at home after paid work and the woman working at home. Unfortunately, her labour is treated as free.

¶ 07 In recent times, social protection obligations fell on these women. We have a nutrition crisis; when milk powder prices tripled and a loaf rose to Rs. 60, children lost needed protein; women sacrificed their own nutrition. Health crises also burden women more — medicine shortages in public hospitals increased their mental stress at home, yet their work remains unvalued. The cost of living rises — increased gas prices drive a return to firewood; smoke fills their lungs; still, their care labour is not counted in GDP. Advanced countries recognize the care economy: Iceland ended the gender pay gap by law and made childcare a joint state-private responsibility; Uruguay created a National Care System guaranteeing care rights and care providers’ rights. We must adopt such systems.

¶ 08 We introduced a 25% quota for women in local bodies, but attitudes persist that women should “just manage the home.” In 2026 we must overcome this with policy.

¶ 09 Unpaid labour is not only the housewife’s: even junior professional women — such as new lawyers — are often exploited. Other than the Attorney-General’s Department, few institutional structures support them. I propose creating structures so that low-income and unpaid persons can receive legal aid through such juniors, with appropriate systems.

¶ 10 Proposals: - Incorporate unpaid labour into GDP: assign market value to household work and include it in national income, recognizing women as producers, not “unemployed.” - Allowances/payments: provide some value from the State to women who full-time care for elders or persons with disabilities. - Universal childcare and eldercare centres: in every workplace and every Grama Niladhari division, establish centres to standard norms so women can work without worrying about children or aging parents. - Paternity leave: make paternal leave mandatory so caregiving and household duties are shared; do not burden only women.

¶ 11 An economy built by exploiting women’s labour cannot be sustainable. With 52% of our population being women, development is impossible without fully engaging them. While we cannot undo past suffering, this Parliament can bring proposals and implement measures to secure their future.

¶ 12 I visited Dumbara Prison (Rehabilitation Centre). It is well-ordered, but sad: many women are incarcerated due to a husband’s or son’s wrongdoing, refusal to give sexual bribes, or lack of surety. Many are detained for long periods due to delays in Government Analyst reports and cannot post even Rs. 5,000 bail, while the State bears prison costs. We need procedures to address such delays, including recruiting needed officers.

¶ 13 Many women there told me they were charged under Section 54 without actually committing an offence — one said she was jailed for refusing sexual bribery. Such things must not happen. These are someone’s mothers, sisters, daughters. Let us ensure their rights and justice are delivered.

¶ 14 I therefore again second the Motion, and call for a true National Care Policy that values women’s silent labour and sets a price for it.

¶ 15 Thank you.