Sri Lanka: National Action Plan for women
BY Nadira GUNATILLEKE

August 6, 2007 - (Colombo) Arrangements have been made to formulate a National Plan of Action for Women. A National Plan of Action for Children will be formulated shortly. Consulting and obtaining proposals should be done before formulating the final draft, Child Development and Women’s Empowerment Minister Sumedha G. Jayasena said.

She was addressing a workshop on the five year National Plan of Action for Women at the BMICH, Colombo on Friday. Minister Jayasena said earlier the act on Domestic Violence was delayed due to lack of coordination between the line ministries.

It took a long time to amend it and pass in Parliament. The most important thing is consulting all persons and institutions and obtaining their proposals and ideas before drafting the final bill,” she added.

Minister Jayasena said it is women who are subject to violence, harassment and injustice and many individuals and organisations discussed the proposals for a long time but nothing has happened to change the situation.

Women are not in the decision making level in Sri Lanka and several other countries but no action has been taken to change this.

In certain countries female representation in Parliament is 30 per cent but in Sri Lanka it is only 4.9 per cent.

In countries such as Uganda women hold high positions in important Ministries such as Defence and Finance.

Minister Jayasena pointed out that Sri Lankan women areactively involved in election campaigns but they are not allowed to come into active politics and hold positions in the decision making levels so far.

The National Plan of Action for Women will be focused on gender equality.

The contents of the Plan are women, poverty and economy, education and training of women, women and health, women, armed conflict and peace building, women in power and decision making, institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women, women and media, women and environment and law and legal policy reforms.

Consequent to the UN meeting on the Commission on Status of Women held in March 2005, the National Plan of Action had to be updated to keep pace with emerging needs and issues both local and International.

Mahinda Chinthanaya which outlines the policy of the Government has placed emphasis on ensuring gender equality through legislative reforms, economic empowerment of women, providing support services for the victims affected by violence and enacting the long awaited Women’s Rights Bill.

Child Development and Women Empowerment Ministry Secretary, Agnes Mendis and several others also spoke. A large number of representatives from the State sector and NGOs were also present.

From:http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/08/06/news40.asp