• Prez Secretariat and line Mins. have agreed to provide office and finances, public servants to be absorbed to cadre   
• Women MPs’ Caucus requests audience with Prez for maiden Comm. Chair who resigned and whom Comm. wants reinstated 

Indicating an end to the non-functioning of the National Commission on Women, the relevant authorities, including the Presidential Secretariat and the key line Ministries, have agreed to provide the Commission with essential resources such as an office space and financial allocations, according to the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus’ Deputy Chairperson, attorney Chamindranee Kiriella.

The President's Secretary, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake had convened a meeting yesterday (12) to discuss the operational difficulties faced by the Commission. It was attended by Commission members, Caucus representatives, the Secretaries to the Ministries of Women's Affairs, and Public Administration, and the Management Services Department’s Director General (DG). The Commission's maiden Chairperson, Dr. Ramani Jayasundere who has already submitted her letter of resignation to the President, did not attend the meeting.

When contacted by The Daily Morning, Kiriella, who attended the meeting, said  the most pressing issues discussed during the meeting were the lack of budgetary allocations, an independent office space, and other resources. She said  the Government has currently allocated Rs. 50 million to the Commission, which she said was about one-third of the funds requested by the Commission. “The issue was largely financial allocations and resources. During the meeting, we were informed that a suitable office space will be provided to the Commission in the coming days. That is very important as the Commission has been asking for an independent office space since September of last year (2025),” she said. She added that Commission members had expressed appreciation for the manner in which Dr. Jayasundere had managed the institution under difficult circumstances and had inquired whether there was a way for her to be reinstated. In response, Kiriella said that she had suggested that since many of the outstanding issues are now being addressed, Dr. Jayasundere should be granted a meeting with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to discuss any issues, particularly as she (Dr. Jayasundere), when submitting her resignation, had reportedly asked for an audience with the President. “I also questioned why these matters had not been resolved earlier. They told us that Budget proposals were submitted in May 2025 and the Commission was formally established only in September 2025. However, the Caucus is also supposed to nominate two members to the Commission, and our nominations were forwarded in January 2025. The Caucus Chairperson, Saroja Savithri Paulraj is also in charge of the Women's Affairs Ministry who should have requested the Budgetary allocations at the outset. By May 2025, it was very clear this Commission was going to be constituted. This, to me, points to poor planning and foresight, and ignorance,” she further said. On staffing issues, Kiriella said the said DG had requested the Commission to submit its cadre requirement. She said that it was agreed that existing Government servants would be absorbed into the Commission where possible, as this would be a quicker way to operationalise the body.

Attempts to contact Commission members who attended the meeting proved futile.

The meeting between the Presidential Secretariat and the respective parties was held amid growing concern over the stalled functioning of Sri Lanka’s first National Commission on Women. The Commission remained inactive due to a lack of communication from the Presidential Secretariat, inadequate resources including an office space, and limited institutional support. Dr. Jayasundere resigned on 27 January 2026, just four months after her appointment, citing the Commission’s inability to operate as mandated under the Women’s Empowerment Act of 2024. It was also reported that there were attempts to place the body under the said Ministry and that the same could undermine its independence.