The Hon. Sugath Wasantha de Silva

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees, I pay homage to all women, including my mother. We call the earth “Mihikatha” (Mother Earth), yet we have polluted both the earth and the woman—by words, gaze, and deeds—while parroting “the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.” If that were true, with 52% women, why are only about 8% in Parliament and 25% in local government? This is not true democracy. We must reform the male-dominated political order and ensure women’s representation matches their share—then we will see a politics shaped by women’s character. I call on all Sri Lankan women to claim the power that is rightfully theirs.

¶ 02 Women plucking tea, sewing garments, and working overseas power our economy, yet do they share its fruits in the economy, politics, or culture? Statistics show 52% are women, but among persons with disabilities—about 1.6 million—57% are women. They lack representation and face negative social attitudes in marriage, motherhood, and family life. Can’t a woman with a disability be a mother and raise children well? They face humiliation and violence, from home to society.

¶ 03 The labour market space for women with disabilities is very narrow; education access is fraught with safety and support issues—parents or caregivers must accompany them, and basic facilities are lacking. Denying these is unjust; they too deserve equal rights and fair opportunities.

¶ 04 Marxists describe women’s “dual oppression”—economic and patriarchal. A woman with a disability faces “triple oppression,” including disability-related barriers. We reject all such oppression.

¶ 05 As Maxim Gorky said, we live by the mother’s care and the sun’s rays; as we venerate the sun, we must truly venerate motherhood—not in words alone, but through equal or even affirmative rights socially, economically, and politically. Women’s majority warrants a major share in representation; culturally, women must be participants and creators, not mere instruments. Let’s make rhetoric reality—ensure women share in the economy, politics, society, and culture. My sincere respects to the women who create the world’s life force.