The Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari Wijerathna

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson, I am happy you are in the Chair.

¶ 02 Hon. Deputy Chairperson, 75 per cent of men create barriers to recruiting women. They try to reduce that intake. They show reluctance to recruit due to maternity leave. This is not women’s fault. Ninety per cent of girls face sexual or verbal harassment in public transport. One in five women face physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner, according to surveys.

¶ 03 Are these women at fault? Where are those rights, equality and empowerment we spoke of? I see it as an issue of men’s attitudes and an issue of those drafting and implementing the law.

¶ 04 In 2022 alone, 1,986 incidents of rape were reported—about five per day. Of the reported rapes, 87 per cent of victims were girls under 16. In 2023, there were 1,638 under-16 pregnancies; in 2024, 213 such cases were reported, including a 10-year-old girl. Is that the girl’s fault? That is why the UN says “Accelerate Action”—to end gender-based discrimination within five generations, ensuring equal rights and equal opportunities are no longer fairy tales. That is why the UN stresses acceleration. We must see how, as a nation, we prepare for this theme, what steps we are taking for a sustainable tomorrow and to empower women.

¶ 05 Since 2015, I have urged gender-responsive budgeting. Even Nepal, with fewer resources, has adopted it. Hon. Prime Minister, you will recall we fought for this from the Opposition. I propose that at least from next year gender-responsive budgeting be implemented in our Parliament.

¶ 06 Historically, the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs has received meagre allocations. Globally, there are 147 gender-relevant sectors, extending into 66 sub-sectors. This is a very large ministry; even if you divide it, you are addressing almost 66 to 75 per cent of the population. We must structure this more systematically.

¶ 07 Women and Child Affairs cannot function alone; it must integrate with about 25 other ministries—for education (for children), Justice (protection), Health (nutrition and health), Finance and Economic Development (women’s economic empowerment), Education and Science/Technology (awareness), and for migrant women, with Justice and Foreign Employment.

¶ 08 We must list, with experts, how by 2026 we will empower women and with which sectors. Then gender-responsive budgeting becomes crucial. I am not blaming everything; I request that our proposals be viewed positively during budgeting.

¶ 09 To protect women’s and children’s rights and ensure equality, we first need a plan, integrating ministries. Some officials say, “Girls also learn under Education, so that’s gender-responsive.” No. For example: do girls have girl-friendly sanitation in schools, budgeted under Education? Are curricula and reforms changing attitudes to girls, with funds allocated? That is gender-responsive budgeting.

¶ 10 In Health: is there a programme for nutrition for estate-sector women? We must also consider transgender persons in our gender discourse. From what I see, facilities are not provided in a gender-responsive manner. This Budget seems less gender-responsive and more IMF-responsive. I saw the IMF recommending cost-reflective electricity tariffs. The burden falls on women: reducing household nutrition, stopping the blender, returning to the grindstone. What is the plan to empower the women who bring in dollars—tea, rubber, coconut, and factory workers?

¶ 11 I saw reports that 15 per cent tax would be levied on remittances sent by migrant workers, the majority of whom are women. If that is incorrect, please correct it. Many women migrate due to poverty or to escape domestic violence. Taxing their hard-earned remittances at 15 per cent would be wrong.

¶ 12 This Ministry has Rs. 14,526 million allocated; of that, Rs. 14,134 million is for recurrent expenditure, leaving only Rs. 392 million (Rs. 39 crore) for capital—new work. Could we not recover the Rs. 20 billion given to SriLankan Airlines and channel more to empower women economically? Only Rs. 638 million (Rs. 63 crore) is for women entrepreneurs’ loans. Even at Rs. 100,000 per loan, only about 6,000 can benefit. Increase this, or women will fall into the microfinance debt trap.

¶ 13 Previously there were loan schemes for MSME women; this time a line has been struck through. Has funding been cut? If so, how will a “Sustainable Tomorrow – A Path Where She Is Empowered” be realized? If it is funded under another Head, please clarify.

¶ 14 Births are declining—100,000 fewer, compared to 75,000 earlier; last year it was 100,000 below the target. Marriages in 2023 numbered about 131,000. It is not lack of love but the economic burden—when coconuts and rice are Rs. 250 each—families delay children. Otherwise, we will be left with only the elderly, creating demographic challenges.

¶ 15 NGOs’ contribution to women’s programmes is vital. Engage experienced women’s organizations. End the era where men make decisions for women. We need inter-sectoral coordination for women’s and children’s empowerment.

¶ 16 I must speak on the pervasiveness of violence. I have faced verbal abuse in this House—not because of my fault. A former MP Nisal Kuttiarachchi insulted me when I raised the fertilizer scam; later, when I spoke on assaults on teachers, the then Education Minister Susil Premajayantha used words that caused me distress; similarly, former State Minister Ashoka Priyantha when I spoke on pensioners; and Minister Nalin Hewage when I spoke on the Thambuttegama railway line. Is that my fault or theirs? If such abuse happens here, imagine outside.

¶ 17 Regarding the Sri Lanka Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus: this is the fifth Parliament where it functions. Under Sumedha G. Jayasena’s leadership we first formed it. We are dressed in purple today, symbolizing justice. We stand together for women; we have no politics there. I ask for full intervention against decisions made solely by men.

¶ 18 A victory was the 25 per cent quota for women in local authorities. But few recall that in 2012 at a Puttalam meeting, Indrani Kusumalatha first proposed this 25 per cent idea. She later contested in 2018 from the SLPP but did not enter. The very proposer could not benefit while over 3,000 women now serve in local bodies. Let us remember such hidden histories.

¶ 19 We proposed quotas for Parliament and Provincial Councils too, and women’s representation on committees: at least one woman where there are three members, and at least two where there are five; this was moved by Hon. Harini Amarasuriya—now Hon. Prime Minister—and others. I request intervention to realize these.

¶ 20 There are many pending cases of violence against women and children—some dragging for 15 years. Your policy document “A Prosperous Country – A Beautiful Life” mentions this. Expedite these, or impunity grows. The Women’s Caucus proposed dedicating one day per week in courts to hear and conclude such cases and punish offenders, which helps change attitudes. Creating separate courts is unnecessary if we prioritize within existing courts.

¶ 21 Another point: I wish the Labour Minister were here. We have ratified ILO Convention No. 190, but not implemented it. I urge action to prevent violence against women at the workplace. Do not try to make the country rich by legalizing prostitution; instead, engage the 52 per cent women productively. No woman becomes a sex worker by desire; often it is poverty. No woman shares a bed without love, protection, respect and devotion. For sex workers forced by circumstance, that is a tragedy; do not push women into the abyss.

¶ 22 On adultery law and media portrayal: why only show the arrested woman on TV and not the man caught with her? End this secondary victimization.

¶ 23 Establish day-care centres at Isuru Paya, Suhurupaya, Sethsiripaya, etc., and in Parliament, so working women have safe child care.

¶ 24 Hon. Minister of Justice, constitutional equality currently sits only as words in Article 12; we must make it real. Implement the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act and the National Action Plan to Address Sexual and Gender Based Violence (2016). The Women Empowerment Act and National Commission on Women—advanced with the Women’s Caucus—must be operationalized. I acknowledge the leadership of Sudarshini Fernandopulle and Deputy Chair Seetha Arambepola in the Caucus.

¶ 25 Where is the Women’s Committee? Without it, the National Commission on Women cannot function effectively. Do not confine these to tokenism; broaden them. Work with Education to channel women into non-traditional jobs; feature successful women in media as role models, rather than only reporting murders.

¶ 26 Address the issue of domestic workers—about a million. They lack minimum wages, insurance or service conditions. Provide protection, a wage grid and service terms. Other countries like Australia protect such workers.

¶ 27 Finally, on March 6 during the Health and Media Heads debate, I said 333 medicines were in shortage per a Medical Supplies Division (MSD) letter; a doctor told me not to speak without technical knowledge. I have tabled the list. As of last evening (March 7), 93 items are out of stock in all hospitals nationwide, and 200 items are out at the MSD. I challenge those doctors who asked me not to speak: tell the country how many of those 93 are essential for women and children.

¶ 28 The Opposition exists to bring the Government onto the right path; do not treat us with hostility. When we raise issues, some men try to drown us out. We present proposals to empower women’s tomorrow.

¶ 29 I also note that this Government has the highest number of Administrative Service officers as Secretaries—across 27 ministries.