- IR & criminology academics point to essentiality of familial & societal support in addition to Gov. initiatives & progressive legal framework
Although various programmes have been launched throughout the past to establish gender equality and to empower women, it is somewhat questionable as to whether they have achieved any significant results. It is becoming clear that without sufficient support from family corporations and the society, progress to the said components cannot be achieved through initiatives launched by the Government including legal provisions alone. This was further confirmed in a recent discussion on the topic ‘Empowering the modern Sri Lankan woman for a strong democratic society’.
The discussion was attended by Senior Lecturer attached to the Colombo University’s International Relations (IR) Department, Dr. Pavithra Jayawardena and Senior Lecturer attached to the Sri Jayewardenepura University’s Criminology and Criminal Justice Department, Dr. Kaushalya Hewawasam. The duo outlined several areas that need to be focused on in terms of gender equality and women empowerment.
Data vs. reality
Dr. Jayawardena said that Sri Lankan women are at the top in South Asia in terms of literacy, but that it is a dilemma that they do not seem to be empowered at the grassroots level. Although many parties are of the view that women should be equipped with education for them to be empowered, she said that it is questionable as to whether Sri Lanka has been able to empower its women population through education. “If we look at the data, the most literate women in South Asia are in Sri Lanka, but, what is the reality? Women representation in the Parliament is very minimal, it is merely 5%. There are only a very limited number of women in other decision making bodies too. This indicates that there is some loophole in the way that Sri Lanka tries to empower women.”
She further said that empowering women should be done in two ways simultaneously. While empowering women by introducing laws, policies and facilities, she said that it is also very important to empower them from the community level to the decision-making level. “We should go to the community level and find out what are the problems that women have, what are the ways to empower them, what are they doing at the grassroots level, what is their contribution to economic development and whether they are involved in politics, and to provide them with the necessary facilities.”
Women’s role in politics & economy
Dr. Jayawardena also said that their representation in Parliament being merely 5% does not mean that Sri Lankan women are apolitical, noting that women are shaping the society by being at various levels. “When women representation in Parliament is 5%, one may ask if Sri Lankan women are apolitical, but, women are engaged in politics at other levels. They are shaping society. It is not that the women don’t like politics as they have the same desire that men have, but, the facilities for women to enter politics are very low. We should work to expand those facilities.”
Although it is the usual belief that Sri Lanka’s workforce represents only a handful of women, Dr. Jayawardena said that every woman is engaged in some economic affair in the current economic climate. However, she said that it is doubtful as to whether their labour and engagement in politics have been identified properly, and the relevant data has been updated accordingly.
Social responsibility to empower women
Dr. Jayawardena also said that not only the Government but also the entire society including their family corporations have a responsibility to provide the necessary facilities for women to engage in political and economic activities on an equal footing with men. “In order to empower women, the rules and regulations related to them as well as the way in which society looks at them must change. We need a behavioural change. The media, especially the state media, has a great responsibility for that. Making a change is also possible through art, which is something even stronger than education.”
In relation to these matters, she said that a woman's success should not be compared to that of a man. “A woman’s success is usually measured in comparison to a man. If a female Head of State in a country is successful, we say that she is like a man and that she made decisions like a man. It is wrong. We should look at them without relating them to males.”
Legal protection and related issues
Dr. Hewawasam said that the Governments introduce various legal reforms to empower and protect women, but that the support of their families and the society is also vital in achieving the expected outcome. “Sri Lanka is a signatory to various Conventions on empowering and protecting women. The Government is also dedicated to doing it through the Constitution and the Penal Code. However, when it comes to the Penal Code, certain limitations that affect women can be identified.” Noting that there is a greater tendency for women to be victims of sexual crimes, be they physical, mental, or emotional, Dr. Hewawasam said that the extent to which the law and justice system is applied to such cases is problematic, adding that rulings of certain cases have reflected problematic situations. She added that the anonymity of the victims of sexual crimes has also not been protected with regard to most such cases in the recent past.
Meanwhile, it was recently reported that the State Ministry of Women and Child Affairs was to present a proposal to the concerned parties to set aside one day a week for the hearing of the cases related to women and children in every court. The State Minister of Women and Child Affairs, Geetha Kumarasinghe said at the time that a large number of cases related to incidents involving women and children such as domestic violence, sexual abuse and child abuse are pending before courts. She said that women and children, the victims of such incidents, often face various problems and inconveniences due to the long time it takes to conclude such cases.
Lack of appreciation
Dr. Hewawasam further said that there are progressive situations such as the Attorney General’s Department having a separate unit to deal with victims of sexual crimes, and stressed on the need to introduce more such programmes with a common agreement within the families and society. “Even if there is Government intervention, we must protect the rights of women with common agreement within the family and the society. The role of the family is very important. For instance, women work at home from morning till evening, but, is their role appreciated? They should get value for the work they do at home. If the family unites and empowers the women of the family, our society will go higher.”
Need for an attitudinal change
Dr. Hewawasam emphasised that when a woman becomes a victim of a crime, the society labels not only the criminal, but also the victimised woman, and that such moves should come to an end with an attitudinal change. “Society has a different attitude towards women who are victims of crime. They try to point the finger at the victim too. However, when a woman is victimised, she needs to see the respect of their family and the society.”
New legislation
The duo’s remarks come in the wake of President and National Policies Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe recently revealing plans to introduce two Bills aimed at advancing gender equality and empowering women, with both tipped to be presented to the Parliament in May. Under the proposed Women’s Empowerment Act, a separate commission is to be established and its primary objective will be to facilitate the advancement and empowerment of women by implementing mechanisms to ensure their rights. Another Bill focusing on gender equality securing women’s rights will also be presented to the Parliament. It seeks to establish principles of gender equality across various sectors, including social, political, economic, cultural, and technical policies, while also providing the necessary infrastructure to support such. “With the implementation of these initiatives, we will establish two robust institutions dedicated to advancing women’s rights. It is imperative that women’s rights go beyond mere rhetoric, and therefore, it is crucial to enact appropriate legislation, a task that has been neglected for far too long. We are taking significant strides in this regard. I entrust the Women’s Caucus in Parliament to engage in discussions with other stakeholders and propose any necessary amendments. Our efforts do not stop here. These bills mark a historic first in our region, setting a precedent for South Asia. Furthermore, we aim to introduce gender based budgeting, a groundbreaking initiative that has only been implemented in a handful of countries, including Canada. We have already prepared the groundwork and intend to present the draft in consultation with the Secretary to the Treasury, an unprecedented move in Asia,” President Wickremesinghe said recently.