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World Organization against Torture urges SL to ban child marriages
An estimated 10% of girls are married before the age of 18 in Sri Lanka, as the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA) does not set a minimum age for marriage enabling any Muslim Quazi (judge) to even authorise the marriage of girls under the age of 12, says a report published by the World Organization against Torture (OMCT).
The report, titled ‘Sri Lanka: child marriage is legalized torture,’ said that South Asia has the highest number of child brides, with around 290 million children married before the age of 18. Despite gains in reducing child marriage in recent decades, progress remains slow and has been further hampered by the Covid-19 pandemic, economic crisis and wars.
It said: “One of them is Shafeeka. When her father died, her mother had to migrate to the Middle East as a domestic worker and Shafeeka, who was 16 years old at the time, was married off to a man twice her age as his second wife. No longer allowed to go to school, she got pregnant with her first child at 17 and with her second at 19 years old. “Instead of carrying books to school, I carried two babies” says Shafeeka, who regrets that she will never get her childhood back. When her second child was two years old in 2021, her husband went abroad for work. She has not heard from him since.
“Based on a patriarchal interpretation of the Sharia law, the MMDA has long been criticised at both domestic and international level by United Nations experts. Girls married before the age of 18 are more likely to suffer physical, sexual and emotional violence at the hands of their husbands. In addition, child marriage is often associated with early and frequent pregnancies leading to high rates of maternal morbidity and mortality. Because of its harmful effects on the mental and physical health of girls and the potential threat it poses to their lives, the UN Committee against Torture and the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture have considered child marriage to be a form of torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.
“The MMDA is administered by Quazis who are outside of Sri Lanka’s formal judicial structure despite being financed through taxes. Women are not allowed to be Quazis. Muslim women’s access to justice is therefore severely limited. Litigants before the Quazi system are not allowed to be represented by a lawyer. Many women have reported discriminatory decisions as well as humiliation and verbal abuse by Quazis.
“On the eve of the International Day on the Elimination of Violence against Women, the World Organisation against Torture and Women’s Action Network Sri Lanka call on the Sri Lankan government to criminalise child marriage and to establish a programme to provide social security and education to married children.”
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
