Women’s groups urge Parliament to speed up long-delayed family law reforms

Two women’s rights groups have urged Sri Lanka’s Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus to push forward long-delayed family law reforms, including proposed amendments to Muslim marriage and divorce laws and domestic violence legislation.

Representatives of KELEER – Forum for Gender-Just Family Law and Legal Practices and the Muslim Women’s Research and Action Forum (MWRAF) met members of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus in Parliament on Sept. 10 to raise concerns over women’s access to justice, protection from violence, family law rights and economic security.

The delegation included 20 lawyers, activists, researchers and survivors from 10 districts.

The groups called for parliamentary action on four proposed pieces of legislation: the Matrimonial Causes Bill, General Marriage Ordinance Amendment Bill, Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act Amendment Bill and Prevention of Domestic Violence Amendment Bill.

According to the groups, members of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus acknowledged that gaps in existing family laws continue to affect women and children and agreed that Sri Lanka needs a modern legal framework that better responds to their circumstances.

Following the discussions, the Caucus made three commitments, the groups said.

It agreed to establish the current status of the four proposed Bills and identify where and why they have been delayed; determine what steps or interventions are required to move them forward and eventually present them to Parliament; and continue monitoring their progress and raising obstacles preventing the reforms from advancing.

However, KELEER and MWRAF stressed that no commitment was made to pass the four Bills within a specific timeframe.

“We asked for a clear time frame as we have been waiting for many years for equality and justice,” the groups said.

They also called for broader measures, including the establishment of family courts, state support for survivors of gender-based violence, stronger social protection for women and recognition of unpaid care work.

The groups proposed that the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus launch a collective “Justice Within the Family” commitment during the upcoming 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.

They said gaps in existing laws and justice mechanisms can result in women facing lengthy legal proceedings, inadequate maintenance, difficulties securing property and economic rights and insufficient protection from violence.

“Family law must reflect women’s lived realities. Justice must be accessible, timely and meaningful,” the groups said. (Newswire)

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