Topic
Employment
1,754 speeches · 310 speakers
Party share
By the speaker's party · counts only, no scoring. "Unattributed" = speeches not resolved to an MP.
Most active on this topic
| # | Member | Speeches |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hon. Sajith Premadasa, M.P. SJB | 84 |
| 2 | Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, M.P. NDF | 78 |
| 3 | Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha, M.P. JJB | 60 |
| 4 | Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa, M.P. JJB | 45 |
| 5 | Hon. Mahinda Jayasinghe, M.P. JJB | 41 |
| 6 | Hon. Sunil Handunnetti, M.P. JJB | 32 |
| 7 | Hon. Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, M.P. JJB | 31 |
| 8 | Hon. Chathuranga Abeysinghe, M.P. JJB | 30 |
| 9 | Hon. Chamara Sampath Dasanayake, M.P. NDF | 29 |
| 10 | Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney at Law, M.P. SJB | 23 |
Speeches
1,754 on this topic- 5 March 2026 The Hon. (Mrs.) Anushka Thilakarathne, Attorney-at-Law JJB AI summary Hon. Anushka Thilakarathne focused on women’s political participation in the International Women’s Day debate, citing increased representation in Parliament and local authorities, particularly through the NPP, while noting continuing barriers such as party structures, media conduct, traditional attitudes, and entrenched power groups. She highlighted examples of women elected to local bodies in Nuwara Eliya, Jaffna, and Gampaha, and urged them to contribute to local and national development and women’s empowerment. She also referred to Government measures including increased preschool meal allowances, school supply grants, and support for underprivileged children, arguing that these were delivered despite economic constraints. She concluded by emphasizing women’s autonomy and the right to make independent choices in politics and life. Adjournment: National Care Policy and International Women's Day Read →
- 5 March 2026 The Hon. Gayantha Karunathilleka SJB AI summary Gayantha Karunathilleka spoke in support of the Adjournment Motion marking International Women’s Day, recalling Sri Lanka’s institutional measures for women’s affairs and noting women’s representation in national leadership, public service, education and local government. He said women remain central to major foreign exchange-earning sectors such as overseas employment, apparel and plantations, but continue to face hardships that require urgent government attention. He called for action beyond ceremonial statements, proposing cross-party initiatives through the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus with Opposition support, and highlighted low female labour-force participation, unemployment, unstable work and the unvalued household labour of women. Adjournment: National Care Policy and International Women's Day Read →
- 5 March 2026 The Hon. (Mrs.) Nilanthi Kottahachchi, Attorney-at-Law JJB AI summary Hon. (Mrs.) Nilanthi Kottahachchi argued that women’s participation in governance, public services, and the labour force is essential to economic stabilization and social transformation, citing the recruitment of female SLTB conductors and the need to address harassment in public transport. She outlined government measures including increased preschool meal allocations, investment in early childhood centres, women’s enterprise projects, online and local marketplaces, community kitchens, laundry services, caregiver networks, and production and marketing programmes such as “Diriya Man Petha” and “Liya Shakthi.” She also detailed support for women with disabilities, including housing, repairs, sanitation, hearing aids, and mobility assistance, and said the Government would continue advancing women’s economic, political, social, and cultural empowerment. Adjournment: National Care Policy and International Women's Day Read →
- 5 March 2026 The Hon. V.S. Radhakrishnan SJB AI summary Hon. V.S. Radhakrishnan highlighted women’s economic contribution in apparel, plantation work, and migrant labour, while noting their limited representation in formal employment and the difficult living and working conditions of plantation women. He urged the Government to provide toilet and rest facilities and improve housing in estates, strengthen measures against violence against women, and consider welfare measures such as free bus travel for women. He also requested an inquiry into incidents at Dickoya–Glengyle Hospital and called for fires to be reinstated as an emergency disaster category so displaced estate families can receive official relief. Adjournment: National Care Policy and International Women's Day Read →
- 5 March 2026 The Hon. (Dr.) Namal Sudarshana - Deputy Minister of Women and Child Affairs JJB AI summary Deputy Minister Namal Sudarshana supported the Motion calling for a National Care Policy, linking it to International Women’s Day and the Government’s policy commitments on reducing women’s unpaid care burden. He said the Ministry has included this objective in the National Policy on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, is finalizing an Action Plan, and will seek Cabinet approval, establish a Steering Committee, sign relevant MoUs, and submit the draft to the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus. He also noted joint work with the Labour Ministry and the Ministry of Rural Development, Social Protection and Community Empowerment to develop a National Social Protection Strategy and strengthen childcare, eldercare, and other care services while assessing the economic value of unpaid care work. Adjournment: National Care Policy and International Women's Day Read →
- 5 March 2026 The Hon. (Mrs.) Geetha Herath, Attorney-at-Law JJB AI summary Hon. Geetha Herath linked the Adjournment Motion to International Women’s Day and emphasized women’s safety, economic contribution, and the need to recognize unpaid care work through a National Care Policy. She noted that although women comprise over half the population and a large majority of university graduates, their workforce participation remains low, particularly after marriage and childbirth, and argued for policies strengthening the family unit as well as women’s economic, political, and social empowerment. She cited the Women’s Empowerment Act, No. 37 of 2024, the proposed Women’s Commission, planned amendments to the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act, and the Microfinance and Credit Regulatory Authority Bill as measures addressing women’s protection and financial vulnerability. She also referred to inter-ministerial coordination and loan programmes for women entrepreneurs, stating that the Government would support women facing social and economic challenges. Adjournment: National Care Policy and International Women's Day Read →
- 5 March 2026 The Hon. Jeevan Thondaman UNP AI summary Hon. Jeevan Thondaman urged the Government to investigate allegations involving the mortuary of a major Government hospital in Nuwara Eliya following the death of a young woman, and requested the Prime Minister’s direct supervision and a formal position at the next sitting. He raised concerns that plantation-area children are being denied access to preschools or that civil society-run preschools are being taken over by estate management, and called for intervention by the Women and Children’s Affairs Ministry. He also asked the Government to implement an earlier Cabinet decision to bring plantation residential areas under State control, publish the Gazette and agreement on estate wage increases, and ensure that casual and private-sector workers are covered fairly. Adjournment: National Care Policy and International Women's Day Read →
- 5 March 2026 The Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya - Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education JJB AI summary The Prime Minister supported the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus Adjournment Motion on a National Care Policy, arguing that unpaid care work is a major barrier to women’s equal participation in political, economic and social life. She called for care work to be recognized as a social responsibility requiring public intervention, infrastructure, financing, regulation and attitudinal change, including childcare and eldercare centres, disability support, safer transport, and reduced household burdens linked to education. She said the policy should form part of a wider structural transformation to value, redistribute and support both paid and unpaid care work, while promoting women’s leadership and equal citizenship. Adjournment: National Care Policy and International Women's Day Read →
- 5 March 2026 The Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari Wijerathna SJB AI summary Hon. Rohini Kumari Wijerathna seconded the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus Adjournment Motion for International Women’s Day, emphasizing the need to recognize and value women’s unpaid care work in the home and its contribution to the economy. She proposed incorporating household labour into GDP calculations, providing state support for full-time carers, establishing childcare and eldercare centres, and making paternity leave mandatory. She also raised concerns about violence against women, exploitation of junior professional women, and the burdens placed on women by nutrition, health, and cost-of-living crises. Referring to her visit to Dumbara Prison, she noted that some women are detained due to family-related circumstances or procedural delays and called for attention to their situation. Adjournment: National Care Policy and International Women's Day Read →
- 5 March 2026 The Hon. (Mrs.) Samanmali Gunasingha JJB AI summary Hon. (Mrs.) Samanmali Gunasingha moved an adjournment motion calling for a National Care Policy to recognize and value women’s unpaid care work as part of the national economy, alongside their contributions in apparel, tea and foreign remittances. Marking International Women’s Day, she argued that Sri Lanka needs a legal and policy framework to strengthen women’s safety, social protection, political and economic participation, and to change outdated social attitudes. She proposed applying the ILO-related “3Rs” approach—recognize, reduce and redistribute care work—using digital services, infrastructure, online complaint mechanisms and a national integrated care programme for children, elders and persons with disabilities. Adjournment: National Care Policy and International Women's Day Read →
- 4 March 2026 The Hon. (Mrs.) Sagarika Athauda, Attorney-at-Law JJB AI summary Hon. Sagarika Athauda supported the microfinance legislation, arguing that while microfinance can promote rural enterprise, self-employment and women’s economic empowerment, weak regulation has led to severe debt distress, including reported suicides and hardship especially among women and in the North and East after the war. She said many loans had been used for consumption rather than income generation, creating cycles of borrowing to repay earlier loans. She called for Central Bank-guided regulation covering licensing, supervision, market conduct, credit counselling, financial literacy, complaint mechanisms and coordinated lending practices, alongside rural economic development programmes to ensure microfinance supports low-income communities safely and ethically. Debate: Microfinance and Credit Regulatory Authority Bill - Second Reading (Continued) Read →
- 4 March 2026 The Hon. (Dr.) Nandana Millagala JJB AI summary Dr. Nandana Millagala said the Opposition had not made substantial criticisms of the Bill and had instead misrepresented the President’s remarks on fuel storage and related terminology. He outlined the Government’s planned investments in new and refurbished fuel tanks, pipelines and filling facilities at Kolonnawa, Muthurajawela and Trincomalee, describing it as a long-delayed storage infrastructure programme targeted for completion by 2027. He also stated that the Government’s position on the Iran–Israel conflict is to oppose war and support peace. On the Bill, he said it is intended to protect distressed microfinance users, bring microfinance institutions under a sound regulatory framework, and improve financial literacy. Debate: Microfinance and Credit Regulatory Authority Bill - Second Reading (Continued) Read →
- 4 March 2026 The Hon. Wijesiri Basnayake JJB AI summary Hon. Wijesiri Basnayake supported the Microfinance and Credit Regulatory Authority Bill, rejecting Opposition claims that it is being rushed or would improperly cover banks, finance companies, cooperatives, or small village societies. He said the Bill targets currently under-regulated community-based organisations, microfinance companies, and NGOs, and is needed to address unregistered operators, illegal deposit-taking, excessive interest rates, unethical recoveries, and harassment of borrowers, particularly women. He argued that regulated microfinance can expand financial inclusion for low-income people, help break cycles of poverty, restore trust in the sector, and support economic growth. Debate: Microfinance and Credit Regulatory Authority Bill - Second Reading (Continued) Read →
- 4 March 2026 Hon. Kabir Hashim SJB AI summary Hon. Kabir Hashim argued that the microfinance Bill is timely but inadequate, noting past attempts in 2016 and 2023 were halted after Supreme Court intervention and insufficient consultation. He said the Bill must protect the informal sector, which he described as the majority of the labour force, and proposed amendments to bring licensed banks and non-bank finance/leasing companies under explicit micro-lending conduct rules. He also called for lighter, tailored regulation for genuine community and voluntary organisations, alongside caps on charges, fair collection practices, and client-protection standards across all micro-lenders. Debate: Microfinance and Credit Regulatory Authority Bill - Second Reading (Continued) Read →
- 4 March 2026 Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition SJB AI summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa requested that the Government apologise for describing Sri Lanka as a “banana republic,” saying it brought the country into disrepute. Under Standing Order 27(2), he asked the Government to state its preparedness for the escalating Middle East conflict, including its policy on national security, protection and possible evacuation of Sri Lankan workers, activation of emergency units and 24-hour hotlines at missions, and assistance for stranded travellers. He also sought details on the number of Sri Lankans in Middle Eastern countries, contingency arrangements for special transport, coordination on aviation disruptions, and measures to safeguard remittances, fuel, gas, fertiliser and other critical supplies in the event of regional instability or disruption to the Strait of Hormuz. Standing Order 27(2) Question: Middle East Crisis and Strait of Hormuz Read →
- 4 March 2026 The Hon. Roshan Akmeemana JJB AI summary Hon. Roshan Akmeemana asked whether, under the national “Together as a Nation” anti-narcotics initiative, the Ministry would promote sport as a regular community activity rather than only as a route to elite teams. He proposed structured year-round weekend leagues in widely played sports such as softball cricket, handball, and elle at regional, provincial, and national levels to strengthen a broader sporting culture. Oral Question: Projects in Trincomalee District (Q.1476/2025) Read →
- 4 March 2026 The Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna JJB AI summary The Minister said the Ministry of Sports is reassessing sports schools to decide which should continue and how talented students can be placed in suitable institutions, noting the need for nutrition, qualified coaches, and timetable adjustments. He stated that listed schools will proceed under the current year’s allocation, while future plans include establishing comprehensive sports schools in each province, including facilities for swimming and other sports. He also referred to education reforms to strengthen school coaching and resources, and said circular provisions allow mid-stream admissions for students with national-level potential. Oral Question: Special Sports Schools Development (Q.1468/2025) Read →
- 4 March 2026 The Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya - Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education JJB AI summary The Prime Minister stated that selected individuals would be appointed under agreements and bonds, with compliance mechanisms in place. She said the policy mirrors practices in other countries that identify top talent for specialized training, and is intended to address existing skills or capacity gaps. Oral Question: Government Printing Department Vacancies and Qualifications Read →
- 4 March 2026 Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake noted that certain individuals or groups often do not return, though the brief statement provides no further context on who was being referred to or the issue under discussion. Oral Question: Government Printing Department Vacancies and Qualifications Read →
- 4 March 2026 Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake raised concern about vacancies and qualification gaps across the public service, citing the Government Press, Health sector, and Auditor-General’s Department. He asked whether this indicated systemic erosion and called for urgent modernization, seeking a clear response from the Prime Minister. Oral Question: Government Printing Department Vacancies and Qualifications Read →