The Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna

¶ 01 Madam Presiding Member, good evening. As today is International Women’s Day, I first offer my heartfelt greetings to all women listening, including my mother.

¶ 02 “Tamil Kural 57: ‘What is the greatest protection? For women, the protection of honor stands supreme.’” Safeguarding a woman’s dignity is a great duty of a man.

¶ 03 Before today’s topic, a reflection: male and female lions are visibly different, but male and female tigers look alike. In Tamil history, women were symbols of restraint and silence; yet in Sri Lankan and world history, Tamil women became a fearless force through the Tamil Eelam liberation struggle that began in 1983. Between 1987-1990, the first women’s commando formation—the “Birds of Freedom”—was built by our National Leader. Women proved they could perform as well as, or better than, men. Kara Joyce’s Georgetown University research notes that one-third of LTTE cadres were women, breaking norms and changing history—attributable to leadership. We built one of the world’s most fearless women’s forces.

¶ 04 Times changed from when women were told not to climb trees or ride bicycles, or needed dowry to marry. Survivors of sexual abuse could not remarry; yet our movement arranged marriages for such women, restoring dignity. In the North during our time, women could walk at midnight safely; today, even a Member of Parliament fears to go out at noon in Jaffna due to the current government’s failures.

¶ 05 According to UNDP, women are 52% of the population, but, as the Hon. Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya said, women’s representation in Parliament is only 9.8%. I will raise it to 10% by resigning in the 8th or 9th month to give my seat to a woman from my party. If we also count women MPs elected by our Jaffna people, it would exceed 10%.

¶ 06 In health, we think of nurses. A serious debate arose on women’s pay in health. Typical nurse shifts are 7am-1pm, 1pm-7pm, and 7pm-7am. At Jaffna Teaching Hospital, the last cadre revision was in the 1990s; many new units and buildings were added since, but staffing has lagged. There are no quarters for nurses. In Sinhala: about 250 Sinhalese nurses in Jaffna Teaching Hospital have no quarters and live outside; the Budget gave no funds for quarters from the Health Ministry. So both accommodation and salary issues for nurses in Jaffna are acute.

¶ 07 A doctor’s salary is not just livelihood but prestige. Reducing on-call/OT components by arbitrary divisors (80/120) is an affront to professional dignity, even if doctors can work abroad; it’s about prestige. Hospitals run on nurses; they’re on the wards 24/7, guide interns, remind dosages. Yet nurses are forgotten while debates focus only on doctors’ pay. I’m glad to speak up for nurses today.

¶ 08 There is no real online safety for women and children. In the North and East, reporting to police is dismal. A toxic “YouTube culture” exploits vulnerable women, filming them, posting to earn remittances; complaints will be submitted in writing. Women are being exploited in the North and East—post-war Mullaitivu is among the poorest; female-headed households struggle. Please, Madam Minister, focus especially on female-headed families in the North and East and on estate women.

¶ 09 The Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs has only Rs. 14.526 billion this year compared to Rs. 42 billion in 2023. Though the share rose from 0.14% (2023) to 0.43% (2024) to 0.6% (2025), the nominal allocation is still too low. Please prioritize the North, East, and estate women.

¶ 10 On the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA) of 1951: as Hon. Faiszer Mustapha also stressed, reforms are needed. A woman must decide if she marries; not her father or grandfather. Currently, under MMDA, girls under 12 can be married off by guardians—this must be corrected by amendment. Also, under Qazi Courts, a man can obtain divorce quickly, but women face protracted processes—reform for equality is needed.

¶ 11 [Interjection by The Hon. Muneer Mulaffer requesting the Member speak with proper understanding of MMDA.]

¶ 12 I am citing the 2024 UNDP Report; please refer to it.

¶ 13 Further, 27.9% of women face psychological abuse. Abuse is higher in the East and the estate sector. The Minister of Fisheries once said the estate was most affected by drugs but now Jaffna is—remarks that demean Jaffna’s people and culture. Such statements from unelected appointees are unacceptable.

¶ 14 About 4.5% of school dropouts are adolescent girls. Around 90% of women report sexual harassment in public transport. Please take action.

¶ 15 On FGM: there are attempts by some groups to advocate “female circumcision.” Safeguard women’s rights and ensure the laws against genital mutilation are enforced.

¶ 16 Post-conflict displacement in the North and East has created many female-headed households. This year, Rs. 1,500 million is allocated to repair their houses, while Rs. 7,000 million is for military veterans’ houses—less than 15% to women. Also, among each thousand girls aged 15-19, 15 face teenage pregnancy issues.

¶ 17 In Kilinochchi Hospital, a Netherlands-funded Centre of Excellence for Women’s Healthcare is not functioning; the Health Ministry shows no concern—please intervene.

¶ 18 Estate women were promised a Rs. 1,700 daily wage, yet now health infrastructure is being handed to estate companies; malnutrition is highest in the estates. Please act.

¶ 19 Finally, three points: 1) The Sindhuja case: admitted to Mannar Hospital with postpartum bleeding; due to alleged medical neglect she collapsed and died while breastfeeding. I was jailed five days for visiting, but justice for Sindhuja is still pending. 2) Vaishalini: a girl’s hand was amputated; no action yet on alleged medical negligence; several infanticide cases in Jaffna also lack progress. 3) The Major Public Investment book has many gaps—nothing targeted to the Muslim community; little for the North and East.

¶ 20 Please stop political games; attend to the North and East. Thank you.