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Achieving sustainability through gender equality 

07 Mar 2022

Amidst a global crisis that is affecting all segments and genders of society, which in Sri Lanka has morphed into an economic and social crisis, the world is ready to celebrate this year’s International Women’s Day, under the theme “Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow”. The prevailing crises are in fact a good reason to talk about women’s rights and women’s contribution more than before, given the massive contribution they have been extending throughout history, and the massive potential they have in order to contribute even more, especially as far as economic and societal reforms are concerned. To discuss how Sri Lanka can empower women to reach their full potential and get their full contribution, Sri Lanka has to make massive changes, most of which stem from changing attitudes and cultural norms. At the same time, the sectors that have forgotten the wellbeing of women, must receive attention. One such sector is the informal sector, which Sri Lanka has forgotten legally, economically, and socially for a very long time. With regard to women working as domestic workers both in and outside the country, there are grave concerns about their personal, economic, and job safety. Many studies have pointed out that female domestic workers in the local context are suffering due to economic, labour, and sexual exploitation. There needs to be a proper mechanism to ensure that they are compensated properly for what they do, their safety, and job security. Unfortunately, even though these matters were discussed at various forums during the peak of the pandemic last year, i.e. when there were months-long lockdowns that rendered women domestic workers unable to get their due payments and protect their jobs, that enthusiasm seems to have waned. At the same time, challenges faced by female domestic workers working abroad are becoming a more pressing concern, owing to Sri Lanka controlling the exchange rate of the US dollar, which consequently discourages foreign employees from sending the correct amount of money they earn to their families, or the country. The best way to encourage them to continue to be a part of the country’s economy is by giving them the proper value for what they earn, which the Government must urgently look into. With regard to the steps the Government can take to empower women, there seems to be a huge lacuna in recognising the role of and supporting women entrepreneurs and self-employed women, especially in rural areas. In this regard, the Government has taken certain initiatives which include supporting rural women planning to start businesses, and such plans must certainly be continued as they were planned and should be further strengthened, if possible, to get the women’s full contribution and to uplift their economic status in the society. One of the measures that can greatly contribute to such steps is identifying the importance of, and empowering, women in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field and women aspiring to enter that field. Sri Lanka has produced several such women who have excelled in the STEM field both nationally and internationally, and it is perhaps high time that Sri Lanka provided them with the opportunities and resources to put their expertise and experience to good use. Sri Lanka can look at a multitude of approaches in this regard, the most practical and less complicated step being making a platform for women in the STEM field who have gone places to teach aspiring women leaders about how they did that, because our schools and universities do not appear to be doing that enough. However, in this time of crises, helping our women recover from what they went through during the past two years, breaking free from cultural restraints that have confined them to household chores, and changing the mindset that they can still be as productive as any other member of their family while pursuing professional, educational, and entrepreneurial opportunities, are actions that are necessary. Doing so, however, is a massive, long-term process, and it involves addressing how the pandemic affected women’s relationships with their families, especially with their spouses, how their roles and responsibilities in the household economy changed, and how it affected them psychologically, especially in a context where allegations of increased domestic abuse against women came to light. It all starts with acknowledging the importance of the women’s role and potential in becoming change-makers, and raising awareness about the same which must be one of the first steps to achieve it. An integral part of these awareness-raising efforts is sending the message that ensuring gender equality is not something that benefits only women, but also will empower men in many ways and will reduce the economic burden the Sri Lankan society has put on men.  If any nation is serious about a sustainable tomorrow, we have to acknowledge the reality that a sustainable tomorrow cannot come into existence without the contribution of women.


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