• Seek separate toilet facilities for female employees

The Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus called for increasing the facilities made available to facilitate women’s employment prior to amending labour laws.

“Women need to be provided with transport if they are to work at night, as otherwise, they are at risk of harassment. They also need separate toilets and many workplaces don’t provide this. We must understand that women are a vulnerable group,” Caucus Chairperson Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle told The Daily Morning yesterday (5) in response to a query regarding amending labour laws to include more women in the workforce. 

Fernandopulle said that in order to bring in these changes, the Caucus is consulting experts to ensure the safety of women in the workplace.

The World Bank stated that Sri Lankan female labour force participation last year (in 2023) was 32.1%. Section 2 of the Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children Act prohibits companies from employing women during the night while Section 67 of the Factories Ordinance restricts women’s work in factories. Meanwhile, a study done by the International Labour Organisation demonstrated that several companies preferred to recruit a man over a woman due to a woman’s perceived role in household responsibilities. The study also found that several employers had a bias towards older women and considered them difficult to train.

In May of this year, former Minister of Labour Manusha Nanayakkara announced the drafting of a new Employment Act which would prevent discrimination in employment on the basis of gender, sexual orientation and gender identity. However, the Caucus claimed that due to the high risks faced by women, this law would be impractical.

The Daily Morning’s attempts to contact Nanayakkara, proved futile.