“Please support Sri Lanka in this difficult time”

The Sri Lankan Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus requested the Sri Lankan community living in New Zealand to contribute to help ease the economic crisis that Sri Lanka is currently facing.

This request was made when a meeting was held in Auckland recently (28) between the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus who are on a study visit to New Zealand and the Sri Lankan community living in New Zealand.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chair of the Sri Lanka Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus, Member of Parliament Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle said that the motherland should be supported to get out of the difficult situation the country is facing at the moment. Commenting on the actions taken by the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, the Chair said that although her caucus consists of women Parliamentarians representing different parties, they stand together for common goals.

Vanushi Walters, who is of Sri Lankan origin, representing the New Zealand Parliament, was also present on this occasion and she expressed her delight at the Sri Lankan Women MPs’ choice of New Zealand for this trip. Walters also stated that the existence of a Parliamentary system with more favourable structures and spaces for women’s political representation in New Zealand would allow for a better understanding of women’s political activities in the Sri Lankan context and will enable the Sri Lankan women Parliamentarians to establish the same good practices back in their homeland.

Addressing the Sri Lankan community living in New Zealand, Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said that the motherland needs the support of Sri Lankans living all over the world at this hour. MP Rohini Wijerathna, Vice Chair of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus, requested for more investments in Sri Lanka.

Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle, Dr. Seetha Arambepola, Rohini Wijerathna, Pavithrai Wanniarachchi, Geetha Kumarasinghe, Thalatha Athukorala, Kokila Gunawardena, Muditha Prishanthi, Rajika Wickramasinghe, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Parliament Secretary General Kushani Rohanadeera, Assistant Director (Administration) Indira Dissanayake and Parliament Manager Media Nimmi Hathiyaldeniya participated in this tour.

The study tour was organized by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) with the full support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on behalf of the Forum of Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus of Sri Lanka.