Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus says 22A fails to ensure gender equality

The Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus says that the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution has failed to ensure gender equality.

The Caucus headed by MP Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle, met in the Parliamentary complex last week (06) and decided that the Bill should be revised to introduce a quota for women in decision-making entities including the Commissions and the Constitutional Council.

The Caucus examined the 22nd Amendment Bill from a Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) perspective.

Whilst highlighting the salient features of the Bill, the Caucus was of the view that provisions of the Amendment Bill had failed to award any gender quota (in the form of a reserved seat or otherwise) to ensure female representation in the Constitutional Council and that the Bill does not expressly contain any substantial provisions aimed at ensuring Gender Equality or Social Inclusion.

It was also recommended to propose a quota for a woman parliamentarian to be appointed to the post of Speaker or Deputy Speaker.

The Caucus has also recommended that Article 16 of the Constitution be amended to ensure that the provisions in the Fundamental Rights Chapter, particularly Article 12, overrides the restrictions arising from retaining old laws, including personal laws such as the MMDA and property rights of married women under Tesawalami law, that clawback equality from women.

MPs Thalatha Atukorale, Rohini Wijeratne, Rajika Wickramasinghe, Manjula Dissanayake, and representatives of the National Democratic Institute (NDI), were present at the meeting, sources said.