The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition

¶ 01 [11.21 a.m.]

¶ 02 Hon. Deputy Chairperson, this is an important and sensitive subject. On International Women’s Day, I wish all women and all who genuinely champion women’s rights.

¶ 03 Looking at mothers, children and women today, we see that due to food inflation, malnutrition and poverty, women and children are trapped in a vicious socio-economic cycle. With escalating prices of essentials like rice, coconuts and salt, mothers and children are denied food security, hurting the whole country. Maternal and child malnutrition must be addressed. A malnourished woman becomes a malnourished mother, whose child is also malnourished. This cycle begins in motherhood and burdens children too.

¶ 04 In 2024, the Ninth Parliament established a Special Committee to study malnutrition; this is its report. It addresses underweight children, low birth weight, wasting, stunting, overweight, anaemia, reduced BMI, and micronutrient deficiencies. Our mothers and children face many challenges. We need a coordinated national plan.

¶ 05 UNDP has presented a Multidimensional Vulnerability Index: 6 out of 10 Sri Lankans are vulnerable. The most vulnerable group is mothers, girls and women. In disasters, pandemics, at home, at work, and in transit, women and girls bear the heaviest burdens.

¶ 06 We need a national, all-party, multi-stakeholder approach. Let us depoliticize this and work together to eradicate malnutrition and protect women’s and children’s rights.

¶ 07 UN Women hosted an informative exhibition yesterday at the Lionel Wendt for International Women’s Day; I attended. Findings included: conservative employers hire fewer women; due to workplace violence and harassment, each worker loses on average six working days per year, costing at least USD 1.78 million across nine surveyed companies. Seventy-five per cent of men hold unconscious bias against female employees, reducing women’s hiring opportunities. Domestic workers are not adequately covered by labour laws; thus, independent care workers cannot expect a minimum wage.

¶ 08 Women comprise 64.8 per cent of graduates, but female labour force participation is 32 per cent. Only about 54 per cent of women and girls can independently use a laptop or smartphone—showing a digital access gap.

¶ 09 In the judiciary, there are no women among 15 Court of Appeal judges; in the Supreme Court, 3 of 17 (including the Hon. Chief Justice) are women. In 2019, women held 37 per cent of management posts, and 16 per cent of CEO posts. We welcome rising parliamentary representation, but must take it higher.

¶ 10 In STEM, only about 25 per cent of engineering undergraduates are women. In media, over 76 per cent of print coverage and over 85 per cent of images feature male sports; only about 12 per cent of sports imagery highlights femininity. In 51 per cent of ads analyzed, Sri Lankan women are portrayed as dependent on male power and knowledge.

¶ 11 Only 4 per cent of crimes against women are reported. The likelihood of a woman experiencing physical violence from an intimate partner is more than double. Of reported rapes, 87 per cent of victims are girls under 16. Reported rapes in 2022 were 1,986—about five per day; many go unreported. We have conventions and workshops, but we must ask how much is implemented.

¶ 12 Relevant instruments include CEDAW (1979); the Beijing Declaration (1995); UN Security Council resolutions on Women, Peace and Security (2000); resolutions against violence and domestic violence (2011); the SDGs (2015); the CRC (1989) and its Optional Protocol (2000); ILO conventions on worst forms of child labour (1999) and minimum age (1973); The Hague conventions; Palermo Protocols, etc. We must ask how much has been translated into domestic law.

¶ 13 Our Constitution’s Article 12(1) provides equality; 12(2) prohibits discrimination. We propose amending the Constitution to specifically include children’s rights and women’s rights in the Fundamental Rights Chapter. Existing laws include the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act, No. 34 of 2005; Penal Code (Amendment) Act, No. 22 of 1995; Employment of Women, Young Persons, and Children Act, No. 47 of 1956; the National Committee on Women; National Child Protection Authority Act, No. 50 of 1998; Children and Young Persons Ordinance, No. 48 of 1939; Compulsory Education Ordinance, No. 75 of 1943. But do these provide real protection and strength? We must examine and focus fully.

¶ 14 We offer solutions. First, give real force to our international commitments by domesticating them and enforcing them. Specifically include children’s and women’s rights in the FR Chapter.

¶ 15 We need a National Nutrition Policy to eliminate maternal and child malnutrition and reach targets for mothers and children.

¶ 16 On maternity benefits, with state support we can grant 12 weeks’ paid leave across public and private sectors at a cost of Rs. 7–10 billion—raising female labour force participation from 32 per cent towards 45–47 per cent, addressing employer reluctance around maternity leave.

¶ 17 I propose two Presidential Task Forces: one focused on children and one on women—child-centred and woman-centred respectively—to integrate decision-making. We have a Clean Sri Lanka Task Force; similarly, set up task forces with KPIs and timelines, a results framework and evaluation.

¶ 18 On microfinance: today’s microfinance is a debt-death trap, with most victims being women. We need a clear plan to extricate women.

¶ 19 Women-headed households—many due to past conflicts—need targeted programmes. We proposed “One million new business start-ups and one million new modern entrepreneurs.” We must run a women-centred entrepreneurship programme.

¶ 20 Address period poverty as a universal, state-supported programme, as in Scotland and New Zealand, to prevent cervical infections and related harms.

¶ 21 On preschools: we heard large allocations. Do benefits reach all preschools or only state-controlled ones? There are 17,910 preschools, serving about 279,000 children. Much of preschool education is informal and under provincial councils with little coherence. We must formalize the 3–5 age band. Child specialists say 70 per cent of brain development occurs by age five. Yet our preschool system is not standardized. While I acknowledge efforts by the Hon. Prime Minister, benefits currently reach only a small subset; most preschools are privately run.

¶ 22 To those who say the last 76 years were only decline, I present three indicators. Life expectancy: for men, 46 years (1945–47) rose to 72 (2021); for women, 44 to 80. Infant mortality per 1,000 live births fell from about 103 (1950–55) to 6.5 (2015–20). Maternal mortality per 100,000 live births—over 2,000 in the 1930s—fell to 500–600 in the 1950s, and to 29 by 2020. These gains are due to our welfare State—free education and free health.

¶ 23 Our proposals are made in good faith and evidence-based. All 225 Members should join hands for maternal and child safety; this is above partisanship.

¶ 24 A small correction: the Committee Stage scheduling is set by the Opposition; we proposed dedicating today entirely to this Head, and appreciate the Government’s concurrence.

¶ 25 Finally, our FR Chapter reflects an ICCPR-centric view but omits ICESCR rights. We support expanding the FR Chapter to include economic, social, cultural, religious, educational and health rights, and specifically to mention children’s and women’s rights—so our supreme law grants real protection to our children and women. Thank you.