News
Women parliamentarians submit motion seeking PSC to probe gender based discrimination
By Saman Indrajith
The Women Parliamentarians Caucus has submitted a motion seeking the appointment of a Parliamentary Select Committee to look into gender based discriminations and violations of women’s rights in the country.
The motion now entered in the latest Addendum to the Order Book of Parliament says that the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus chaired by Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle, has resolved the necessity of setting up a mechanism to advocate and mainstream gender equity and equality through their representation, lawmaking, budgeting and oversight functions.
As a result of their resolve they seek for House’s approval to set up a PSC to “look into and report to Parliament its recommendations to ensure gender equity and equality with special emphasis on looking into gender based discriminations and violations of women’s rights in Sri Lanka.
The motion has been signed by Dr Fernandopulle and MPs Dr Seetha Arambepola, Rohini Kumari Wijerathna, Pavithradevi Wanniarachchi, Thalatha Atukorale, Geetha Samanmale Kumarasinghe, Kokila Gunawardene, Muditha Prishanthi, Rajika Wickramasinghe, Manjula Dissanayake, Dr Harini Amarasuriya and Diana Gamage.
The motion says that Article 12 of the Fundamental Rights Chapter of the Constitution recognizes that all persons are equal before the law and are entitled to the equal protection of the law and Article 12(4) provides for affirmative legislative or executive action for the advancement of women’s rights.
The government has ratified several international legal instruments that promote gender equality inter alia Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR); International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR); International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR); and Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
Ensuring gender equity and equality and empowering all women and girls have become important in the context of sustainable development goals adopted by the United Nations for which Sri Lanka is a signatory.
The PSC is expected to make recommendations in respect of the following in order to address gender based discrimination ensuring that gender equity and equality is promoted and respected, and all women and girls are empowered in Sri Lanka:
“(a) hearing grievances of women on all sorts of gender based discriminations including employment, promotional opportunities and harassments in work place; (b) reviewing and advocating for the allocation of adequate domestic resources in all sectors and at all levels, and access to improved gender equity and equality in Sri Lanka; (c) scrutinizing and reviewing relevant laws, ensuring gender mainstreaming to prevent discrimination and negative impact on the lives of women and girls; (d) lobbying with relevant line Ministries and authorities to ensure gender responsive planning and budgeting; (e) undertaking awareness campaigns and encouraging information dissemination on matters related to achieving equality among men and women; (f) lobbying and advocating for more women representation in decision-making bodies on national, provincial and local level, in public, civil society and in private sectors; (g) reviewing measures for integration of gender equality principles at National, Provincial and Local levels; (h) encouraging public-private partnerships to improve gender equity and equality in Sri Lanka; (i) sharing expertise and experiences among countries at regional and international levels and reviewing lessons learnt from other Parliaments; and (j) consideration of all matters which are connected with or incidental to the above matters. 2. (a) That the Committee and its Chair shall be appointed by the Speaker; and (b) That notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Order 101 of the Parliament, the Committee shall consist of not more than twenty five (25) Members comprising all members of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus in Parliament and other Male Members of Parliament representing all political parties. 3. That the Committee shall have the power to— (a) fix its quorum; (b) summon any person to appear before it, to require any person to procure any document or record, to produce and receive all such evidence, written or oral, as the Committee may think it necessary for the fullest consideration of the matters referred to above; (c) obtain the services of specialists and experts in the relevant fields to assist the Committee; and (d) make interim reports from time to time and to sit notwithstanding any adjournment of Parliament.”
The Committee shall present its report to Parliament within a period of one year from the first meeting of the Committee or within such further period as Parliament may grant. The report of the Committee, once tabled in Parliament shall be referred to the Ministers in charge of relevant subjects who shall submit their observations and steps taken therein contained to the House within a period of eight (08) weeks, the motion said.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
