• To address domestic violence, notes need for inter-Ministerial effort/funding   

Chairperson of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus, Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle said that the preliminary draft of the Gender Equality and Women Empowerment Bill will most likely be available for viewing around mid-January 2023, and that policies addressing gender based violence (GBV) and domestic violence will be included in the Bill.

“It is hard to say as to when the draft will be completed exactly because it depends on the drafting consultant, but the preliminary draft should be available for reviewing possibly around 14 or 15 January 2023. It is still in the drafting stage, and once the draft is complete, we will review it, and then hold discussions with the relevant organisations, and we will be publicising it in newspapers and websites so that the public will be aware of it as well. GBV and domestic violence are addressed in the Bill but there is a lot to be done. A huge responsibility lies with the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs in terms of structuring and dealing with the stakeholders. 

“Many women depend on their intimate partners or husbands, and in our culture, most often the woman is at fault even in these cases, so they suffer silently. That may be a reason as to why law enforcement cannot take much action because some women choose not to complain as they are economically dependent on their partners. Our laws do not promote a system that provides psychosocial economic activities to help women in these situations. Mostly authorities have patriarchal views, and are in some ways misogynistic – those are also reasons for their silence. The policies included in this Bill have addressed these issues but the implementation of these policies as the law is an inter-Ministerial effort and we will need funding as well,” she said while speaking to The Morning yesterday (14),

Addressing the Parliament last month, President Ranil Wickremesinghe revealed that he has instructed the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus to expedite the presenting of the said Bill, insisting that women should be given posts of higher importance, while observing that many associations with a majority of women should be directed by women as well. “This Bill proposes an independent Commission to be called the National Women’s Commission, which through an Act of Parliament will provide leadership for the reform of the laws and policies pertaining to women’s rights and gender equality, with a mandate to provide the necessary information to the Parliament,” said the President.