The future of the newly-established National Women’s Commission (NWC) remains uncertain after its Chairperson Dr. Ramani Jayasundere tendered her resignation just four months after her appointment, with no response so far from President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on the commission’s future, The Sunday Morning learns.
However, when contacted yesterday (31 January), President’s Media Division (PMD) Director General Prasanna Perera claimed that President Dissanayake had not received the NWC Chairperson’s resignation yet.
Dr. Jayasundere resigned from the post on Tuesday (27 January).
Sources familiar with the matter said that no discussions had taken place regarding the commission’s future following the resignation and that no other members had resigned at this stage. The President’s Office had offered no formal response, they said.
According to informed sources, Dr. Jayasundere resigned in protest over the Government’s failure to provide the minimum conditions required for the commission to function independently. These include the absence of an approved budget, the lack of independent premises, and restrictions on staffing autonomy.
Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chairman Harsha de Silva revealed that he had questioned the Ministry of Finance at the committee last week over the zero-budget allocation for the commission.
According to sources, the Finance Ministry’s primary explanation for the zero allocation was that the commission had not been in place yet at the time the 2026 Budget had been finalised and that no funds had therefore been set aside.
“This cannot be accepted because the initial planning to establish the commission was started in February 2025. They cannot say that they were not aware and the commission was not in the place. They were fully aware of the formation of the commission,” the source told The Sunday Morning.
The source also alleged that pressure tactics were being employed to weaken the commission’s independence, potentially allowing for appointments more amenable to ministerial control.
Concerns have also been raised internally regarding the commission’s independence after it was reportedly asked to operate from office space belonging to the National Committee on Women under the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs.
The NWC was established under the Women Empowerment Act No.37 of 2024, a landmark law intended to strengthen women’s rights, address violations, and expand women’s participation in leadership. However, despite the legal framework being in place, the commission has yet to commence formal operations.
“For an independent commission, being housed within a ministry raises serious issues of perception and function,” another source said, noting that the commission had not held its inaugural meeting yet due to unresolved structural issues. At present, the Executive Director is operating from an interim workspace provided by the ministry.
Meanwhile, speaking to The Sunday Morning, Ministry of Women and Child Affairs Secretary Tharangani Wickramasinghe said that the news of the Chairperson’s resignation had come as a shock, describing it as a sudden development of which the ministry had no prior knowledge.
“There was a meeting with the commission members even a day or two before the resignation. However, the news was shocking. But I can’t comment on the matter further as I’m not aware of subsequent developments, because this is now with the higher authorities,” she said.
Civil society organisations and women’s rights groups have meanwhile called for the commission to be made fully functional without delay. More than 135 women activists and organisations have jointly written to President Dissanayake urging immediate action. They have not received any response from the President’s Office so far.
Dr. Jayasundere was appointed Chairperson of the NWC in September 2025. Full-time members include Shreen Saroor and Janaha Selvaras, alongside other members selected for their expertise in law, trade unions, economic development, health, education, and women’s empowerment.
Under its statutory mandate, the NWC is empowered to investigate violations of women’s rights on its own initiative or upon receiving complaints, summon witnesses, collect evidence, and recommend remedies against both State and non-State actors.