The Hon. Nalin Bandara Jayamaha

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, I welcome the chance to speak for women in this Adjournment debate. We heard much about women’s contribution to the economy; especially about housewives whose work is not added to GDP. I also wish to raise the situation of domestic workers.

¶ 02 Today, about 1,785,500 Sri Lankans work in the Middle East—UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and elsewhere. Roughly half are domestic workers. With war-related instability, these women face increasing hardship. Are they receiving proper services from the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau (SLFEB) and our missions? Can they access emergency help? Even repatriating remains is a challenge.

¶ 03 A woman going abroad as a domestic worker must pay Rs. 25,000 to the SLFEB. I propose, in honour of International Women’s Day, that we stop charging Rs. 25,000 from outbound domestic workers. If insurance is necessary, charge a minimal Rs. 5,000–6,000 instead. Their salaries are often below Rs. 100,000 per month; deducting Rs. 25,000 upfront is too heavy. You have saved money elsewhere—e.g., removing MPs’ pensions. Decide now, for Women’s Day, to reduce this charge to a minimal amount.

¶ 04 Please also check whether SLFEB hotlines work and whether people can actually get assistance. We see long queues daily at SLFEB. These women go abroad to bring in dollars, yet must first pay Rs. 25,000 to the government and then face difficulties without adequate support.

¶ 05 On the Iran–Israel war, only days ago many young girls in a nursery school were killed—I express our condolences and condemnation. Yesterday, an Iranian naval vessel came under attack. The government initially said nothing, though it knew that ship had sought permission to enter our waters after participating in an Indian exercise that our Navy Commander also attended. Following the attack, soldiers aboard perished. The Indian Ocean is considered a zone of peace; we should condemn such attacks unequivocally.

¶ 06 The government must pay close attention to our migrant women and workers amid this war. Our tea and coconut exports are hit; shipping and air freight costs have doubled or tripled. We question whether the government is taking adequate measures.

¶ 07 On women: all MPs received a letter from Mrs. Sandhya Eknaligoda, wife of the disappeared Prageeth Eknaligoda, stating she has received death threats and seeking protection. On a day we debate women’s issues, has the government ensured her safety?

¶ 08 A government Member alleged Opposition MPs used abusive language against women. I reject generalizations; we do not invite or condone abusive speech.

¶ 09 Thank you.