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MP Dr. Harini Amarasuriya says mainstream political parties are undemocratic
"Society likes to create this myth that women are catty. Women who get into positions are under so much pressure. They have to prove themselves. We don’t have enough conversations about alternative leadership and how we can support each other" MP Dr. Harini Amarasuriya[/caption]
How has your experience been over the past few months being the only female MP from JJP?
Well, it’s still early days, maybe 7 months. It’s a big learning curve and interesting. You see things happening at a different level. This may sound strange but I have developed a bit more respect for politicians. There is nastiness but that’s a minority. It’s much more collegial than I imagined it to be. It’s unfortunate that we don’t use the Parliament as we should. The potential for doing good is there. It is the national body that debates policy and laws for the country. What we are using it for is disappointing.
The debates were so constructive even as recently as 2004, 2005. When the 17th Amendment was passed and the debates and negotiations were going on it was really interesting. When it’s a more balanced parliament there’s more space for negotiation and collaboration and then both parties have to work together. Being the only female was not a problem because I used to work with Party Leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Anura Kumara Dissanayaka and Vijitha Herath. They’re very nice people and supportive. If I needed some help, I would ask them.
You are a National List MP. When you were nominated for the JVP’s solitary national list seat certain people said that JVP had become too urban and elitist? What is your response to that?
They have a right to say that and have any opinion they want. I understand where that is coming from. I have not come from what is seen to be the typical JVP background, but that is also a narrow understanding.
Why do you think female politicians find it difficult to contest and be elected in Sri Lanka, especially if they don’t have a family connection?
I have campaigned for others to promote JPP and the JVP. I have not had a campaign for myself but I think it’s sometimes easier in a party like ours because we campaign together. We don’t have that “Manapa Poraya” (battle for preferential votes). So that helps women. But it’s different in the other parties. We would see intra party competition being very high. Then they have to rely on their family connections, supporters and personal networks in order to even get nominated and then to be funded and supported in a campaign. If we want more women to contest the parties have to change. Parties have to then consciously say we want more women to represent our party and we want to support them to be elected. So that is necessary. The mainstream parties are usually undemocratic. People like Hirunika Premachandra and Rosy Senanayaka should be in Parliament.
Does Sri Lanka’s political culture discourage women from entering politics?
Yes. We consider dirty politics as necessary. We need good political leaders and parties. Getting a stranger into politics doesn’t solve the country’s issues.
What do you think about the nepotism in Sri Lankan politics?
It’s a big problem. I always think of it as a political class which protects each other across party lines and preserves the family power base. It’s unfortunate. It has increasingly become harder for someone not having that connection to break into politics. You are never going to have the representation from diverse backgrounds and this is again a party decision. We in the JJB have no one who came through family connections.
Is Women’s Day celebrated correctly in Sri Lanka?
Not at all. It has become very consumer centric, giving flowers and cakes. But the history was to remember the women who really fought for female workers’ rights. There is a specific leftist history also. I don’t think many people know or remember that history and it has become much more conformist. Women’s movements and struggles were radical and challenged the system. What is happening nowadays is conforming to the system and not questioning it. You celebrate very privileged women these days.
In your opinion what is the main issue facing women in Sri Lanka?
I think superficially Sri Lankan women are far better off than other women in the region. Even though employment is a bit problematic, we do much better than in other countries of the region. We don’t have horrific practices like dowry death or female infanticide or Sathi pooja. We have also had a female Prime Minister and President. I think our problems are much more settled and therefore much more difficult. It’s much more cultural and intimate.
On one hand we say “Gedara Budun amma” (Amma is the Buddha at home) and glorify the woman and yet we know the reality. We put women on a pedestal which limits what women can do. We don’t need “Sama thana” (equal place) what we need is “nisi thana” (proper place). If we have such a highly educated population why is it that our employment figures are so bad for women? Why is it that women are not in decision making positions? There is something in our social fabric. Feminism has become anti-men and it’s too threatening. The minute you start to talk about your relationships, how you feel, how you treat each other, what respect really means then the problems emerge. These are the challenges. Everything is so sexualised. If a man goes and talks to women he will be laughed at by his friends and if a woman hangs out with men she would completely be considered as “easy”. These attitudes should change. A man has a little more freedom but not women.
How do you see the Government’s attitude towards women?
Not happy about it. If you go through the policy document “Saubagye Dakma”, women are mentioned there as mothers and nothing else. Not as equal citizens. Women are always treated as a victim and that’s a narrow and conventional view.
Then in practical terms it is reflected in the Budget. For the first time in many years we don’t even have a separate Ministry. Not that the Ministries that we had did wonderful things but it’s an acknowledgement of the way in which women are positioned. Women are not prioritised.
Do you think men perform better than women in the workplace?
Not at all. Women have to make choices after they turn 30. The choices that men don’t have to make. A woman is always expected to balance her career and her family life while a man is not expected to do that. We are not super women and most women take a step back in their careers. If you really need to support the women at your workplace then you need to have a system to support it. Parenting and household work are not just women’s responsibilities. These are social responsibilities, so the society has to establish a system to provide equal opportunities for women.
What are your views on maternity leave and paternity leave?
The problem is certain sectors are reluctant to hire women because they don’t want to give maternity benefits. We have to insist on non-discrimination when it comes to hiring women. The private sector should not be allowed to get away with this. Employers should not be allowed to ask about a woman’s marital status when they are being hired. It should be against the law. Men feel they have the privilege to ask questions like, “are you planning to have children?”. These questions cannot be asked. This is a country that says “Gedara Budun Amma” and makes women feel like they are committing a crime when they get pregnant. We need to have paternity leave because raising a child is not just the responsibility of the mother. The Government has to come up with good daycare and preschool facilities.
Does Sri Lanka have a pay gap issue?
Not in the formal sector but in the informal sectors which are not regulated such as the media, the tea industry, daily wage workers and manpower agencies there is a pay gap. There is a need to establish good labour protection for the informal sector.
The Government is planning to offer sanitary napkins free for school girls. Do you think this can be sustained in the long run?
Access to sanitary napkins is the only thing we are talking about but it’s a far bigger issue. What about the lack of toilets? I spoke about sanitary napkins in Parliament and I was able to get bins set up for disposing sanitary napkins. That’s one thing I achieved in the Parliament. Now all female toilets in the Parliament have sanitary napkin bins. This is my only accomplishment so far and it’s a big deal for me. If the Parliament doesn’t have these facilities how can we expect other places to have them?
Do women in Sri Lanka actually help other women to climb up the ladder?
I have got to where I am because of the help of women. I had very strong women mentors, role models and friends in my life. Society likes to create this myth that women are catty. Women who get into positions are under so much pressure. They have to prove themselves. We don’t have enough conversations about alternative leadership and how we can support each other.
Are law enforcement authorities in Sri Lanka sufficiently trained to handle women centric sensitive issues?
Not at all. Experiences with women and children with our law enforcement are terrible. Many women would choose not to turn to law enforcement if they had a choice. The Police and judiciary are the places that show that the state of women in this country is not good.
What impact did Covid-19 have on women?
They are stuck at homes and there has been a rise in domestic violence over the past year. So women really took a hit in many ways both economically and socially.
What is the JVP doing at the moment to support women or empower women?
The JVP has its own women’s wing. What the Progressive Women's Collective (PWC) is doing is to make feminism more mainstream in politics and not just to have it as a thing we do on “Women’s Day”. Feminism is a theory for analysing society just like Marxism. There are many feminist theories as much as there are many interpretations of Marxism. We are critics of the exciting economic system and we think it is particularly bad for women.