Shiranthi delivers keynote address at women’s rights webinar

Shiranthi Rajapaksa, on Wednesday (09), delivered the keynote address at a webinar, under the theme “Empowered Women Dare to Speak Up,” organised by the Indonesian Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (MoWECP).

The Minister of MoWECP, Bintang Puspayoga, and the Indonesian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Dewi Gustina Tobing, and Heru Prayitno, Minister Counsellor of the Embassy of Indonesia in Colombo, also took part in the webinar.

Commencing the webinar, from Jakarta, the Minister of MoWECP of Indonesia conveyed the importance of celebrating International Women’s Day as a form of respect for women’s achievements and promoting women’s rights in social, political, economic, and cultural life.

From the Temple Trees, in Colombo, Shiranthi Rajapaksa spoke of the challenges and opportunities for women in Sri Lanka and believed that women’s empowerment requires a collective effort. For Sri Lankans, women’s empowerment is about having the space. They also need support systems, such as education, employment, and health.

All parties must come together to make women more independent, and help them overcome current economic difficulties.

The panelists at the seminar conveyed their views and experiences in the discussion, which consisted of two sessions, namely “Empowered Women” and “Women Dare to Speak Up.”

The panellists emphasised the importance of policy related to the protection and fulfillment of the rights of women and children, providing easy access to social assistance, micro-enterprise assistance, training, loans, and other needs related to women’s rights. Women must also take a firm stand against perpetrators of sexual violence and always fight for gender equality.

Ambassador Dewi Tobing, in her closing remarks, expressed high appreciation to Minister Bintang Puspayoga, Shiranthi Rajapaksa, moderators, speakers, and webinar participants who shared knowledge and experiences in the webinar.

Ambassador Dewi emphasised that women’s voices are still being ignored despite their achievements and successes. Gender equality should continuously be promoted, and women’s empowerment should be prioritised.

As the Indonesian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Ambassador Dewi urged for a closer partnership between Indonesia and Sri Lanka in promoting women’s empowerment and increasing their capacity and contribution to the development in their respective countries.