The Hon. (Ms.) Krishnan Kalaichelvi

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, in view of the International Women’s Day to be celebrated on 8th March, our estimate is that the Adjournment Motion moved by the Hon. Samanmali Gunasinghe to prepare a National Care Policy by valuing women’s labour contribution to the national economy and linking unpaid care work to it, is a pressing need of the time.

¶ 02 Before commenting on the Motion, I wish to mention an incident. Last week, a serious incident reportedly occurred at the Dickoya Hospital and it is still being discussed. It is said that hospital staff had mishandled the body of a young woman from the hill country. From the time we heard of it, I, together with our Minister of Health, the Deputy Minister, and the District Coordinating Committee Chairman, among others, have taken appropriate action. The relevant parties have been informed and investigations are underway. Whatever it may be, I express my condemnation in this House of such incidents occurring repeatedly in the hill country. If the investigations reveal that persons have been genuinely involved in this crime, the Ministry of Health will take appropriate action without partiality.

¶ 03 Hon. Presiding Member, in this country—whether in the public sector, the private sector, within the country or abroad—half of the workforce are women. The problems faced by these women are many. In particular, women working in the estates—the tea plantation sector—face numerous issues. It would take too long to list them all: social, cultural and occupational disadvantages persist. As a Member representing the hill country, I cannot explain the problems these women face in a few words. They include wage issues, culturally rooted problems, sexual harassment at the workplace, domestic issues, and childcare and care-related burdens. The most affected are hill-country women.

¶ 04 Today, many women from the hill country are working as domestic workers abroad, and within Sri Lanka as well, especially in urban areas. We have been continuously raising their issues both inside and outside this House.

¶ 05 As some Opposition Members say, despite 200 years of plantation labour history, in their workplaces there is not even a single toilet in some locations, nor facilities to rest or to have a meal. Under our policy statement “A Prosperous Country - A Beautiful Life,” as the National People’s Power, we have correctly identified these problems and, through the intervention of the Hon. President, from 10th February last, a Rs. 400 wage increase has been granted. Further, through the Indian Housing Scheme, nearly 10,000 houses are being set up in hill-country areas. Many of our women MPs who have spoken so far today have presented proposals to improve the lives of women across the country including the hill country, and the Government has taken note.

¶ 06 Next, we see many children of our people in the estate areas of Nuwara Eliya District engaged in street vending. Our aim is to stop this and to create programmes so they too can live prosperous lives.