Gender budgeting, two new bills to empower women: president

ECONOMYNEXT –Two bills, aimed at advancing gender equality and empowering women, will be presented to Parliament in May, Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe has said.

“It is imperative that women’s rights go beyond mere rhetoric; therefore, it is crucial to enact appropriate legislation, a task that has been neglected for far too long,” Wickremesinghe said at an International Women’s Day event at the Water’s Edge, Battaramulla on Friday.

“In celebrating International Women’s Day, the usual practice in our country is to hold a ceremony, discuss women’s rights and return home. This routine occurs every year. However, this time, we have decided to implement concrete actions to amplify women’s voices,” Wickremesinghe said.

“Two significant bills have been prepared. The first is the Women’s Empowerment Act, which aims to establish a separate commission dedicated to women’s upliftment and empowerment, ensuring the protection of their rights in accordance with the Constitution. The responsibility of formulating a national policy will be entrusted to this commission by the relevant minister.

“The draft of this bill was published in the Gazette yesterday. Additionally, another critical bill, the Gender and Equality Bill, will be published in the Gazette next week. This legislation seeks to safeguard women’s rights and promote gender equality across various sectors, including social, political, economic, cultural, and technical domains, while providing necessary support for their advancement.

“Plans are also underway to establish a Gender Equality Council with ministerial powers and to set up a gender centre, equipped to address issues at the ministerial level.

“With the implementation of these initiatives, we will establish two robust institutions dedicated to advancing women’s rights.”

The bills are expected to be submitted to Parliament in May.

Wickremesinghe said that the government would also introduce gender budgeting, or the use of analytical tools, as a routine part of the budget process, so that the budget is more effective at meeting gender equality goals.

“We have already prepared the groundwork and intend to present the draft in consultation with the Secretary to the Treasury.”

At the event, Minister of State for Women and Children’s Affairs Geetha Kumarasinghe presented guidelines for temporary women’s care centres. Symbolic donations were also made to these centres, including three-wheelers, computers, printers, and scholarships for beauty courses.

The launch of loans under the ‘Liya Saviya’ loan program, aimed at providing relief from microfinance loan burdens, also took place.