Women Rights in Sri Lanka

By Muzhgan Feraji

Genaerally speaking, with an exception of a small propotion, women in Sri Lanka are usually responsible for cooking, raising children, and taking care of household etc. Though women are making tantamount strides, women are up against a long history of instability and patriarchal rule. According to the U.N. Gender Inequality Index, Sri Lanka ranks 74th among 187 countries.

Women in Sri Lanka still lack representation in government and access to employment opportunities while suffering from cultural preconceptions of female roles. In the 1960 election, Sirima Bandaranaike after the assassination of his husband is known as the first women Prime Minister of the world. Critics used to say: women cannot run politics but she proved othewise.

Sri Lanka ranks one of the lowest country in representation of women in South Asia. Women have very little representation in the government as their share in the parliament have never been more than 6%. Leading to huge increases in educational gender equality, in 1946, only 43.8% of women were literate.

In 2001, 90% of the female population was literate in comparison to 93% of the male population. But many employment opportunities are reserved for male candidates due to a history of gender ideologies. Sri Lanka, in 1945 created educational opportunities for women. many women have experienced relegation as “supplementary earners” despite their education or others have consigned them to focus on household work because of views.

Sir Lankan culture plays a significant role in determining the career of women. However, in the recent times, women are encouraged to work at home. The textile industry, tea and sending labor abroad among Sir Lanka’s foreign exchange programs, and women play a major role.

Although government as well as NGOs have taken steps to ensure the safety of Sir Lanka women, there are still 40 reports of sexual violence against women every month.

Sri Lankan women who work abroad suffers a lot. There is no support program from the government and related institutions for these women and their families and sometimes the daughter of the family are sexually abused by others due to long absence of the mother.

Throughout Sir Lanka’s history women have played a greater role specially when it comes to politics and previous armed conflicts, however, gender inequality is still a prevalent issue in Sir Lanka.

Many women in Sir Lanka are subject to domestic violence but all the complaint offices are dominated by men, which slows down the handing of women’s complaint.

Women’s lives in Sir Lanka are influenced by patriarchal laws but women in Sir Lanka never lost hope for better life . Sri Lanka is experiencing its worst socio-economic crisis since independence, and it have negative effect for the life of women and reproduction. Sri Lanka’s judicial system is dysfunctional and police investigation are sometimes inconclusive.

In 2022, the progress achieved in the field of women, including the access of pregnant women to health equipment is remarkable, 99% of births will be performed by doctors and nurses. There is a hope that the future of Sri Lankan women is bright and in the years to come, thre would be further improvement.