“Sri Lanka’s ranking of 122 out of 146 countries in gender equality reflects significant disparities”
Sri Lanka’s ranking of 122 out of 146 countries in gender equality reflects significant disparities across economic participation, education, health outcomes, and political empowerment, as measured by the Global Gender Gap Index, said Women’s Chamber of Industry & Commerce First Vice Chairperson Gayani De Alwis. She also pointed out the challenges women face in accessing finance and the discouraging environment in financial institutions.
She made these observations at the media briefing & panel discussion on “Unlocking Potential: Policies for Women’s Economic Empowerment” organized by Women’s Policy Action Network (WPAN) in collaboration with the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands which took place at BMICH on Thursday. The event was facilitated by Advocata Institute.
“As you all know in the business landscape 75 to 80% of businesses are small and medium enterprises in this country. Out of that 25 percent are only women-owned. I think that’s another area that we need to work on because a lot of issues that women face there as well. Laws are good, but how do we truly change the minds of people at a grassroots level?”
The Vice Chairperson called for increased support for female entrepreneurs and urged the inclusion of gender equality discussions at all levels of education to dismantle misogynistic viewpoints. Women’s Policy Action Network’s Chairperson Dr. Roshan Perera said despite Sri Lanka’s progress in various sectors, the participation of women in the labour force has remained stagnant at approximately 30% for several decades.
“Since women shoulder a disproportionate burden of household and care work, it leads women to step out of the workforce. Labour Force participation of women in Sri Lanka has stagnated at around 30 percent for several decades.
And when you dig deeper you see why there is a lack of women in the labour force. One of the major issues that is raised is that women bear a larger burden in terms of household work and care work and as a result, they end up having to opt out of the workforce.”
Dr. Perera said that was done under six aspects – gender discriminatory land inheritance laws, gender discriminatory labour laws in Sri Lanka, unlocking the women’s potential in the digital economy, social infrastructure for gender equality and empowerment, addressing barriers faced by women in the informal economy and financial inclusion.
Attorney at Law Shyamali Ranaraja said “Despite all the statistics on social achievement by women, Sri Lanka has one of the lowest rates of participation in the labour force by women in South Asia.
“One of the factors is the lack of care resources and this has been demonstrated to be disproportionately affecting women from participating in the labour force.”
She also addressed the precarious nature of employment for women, highlighting societal disincentives that hinder their return to the workforce post-childbirth and marriage.
She pointed out that current legislation creates significant barriers for women re-entering the labour force, with another critical juncture occurring around age 50, coinciding with eligibility for EPF payments.
“We must seriously address the barriers which exist that hinder women,” Dr. Perera reiterated, underscoring their critical importance for economic growth. With an ageing population, significant emigration of skilled workers, and more than 50% of resources underutilised, tapping into the full potential of women in the workforce becomes imperative.
Addressing these barriers not only promotes gender equality but also drives economic prosperity and social progress in Sri Lanka.
The post “Sri Lanka’s ranking of 122 out of 146 countries in gender equality reflects significant disparities” appeared first on DailyNews.