Women in Sri Lanka Win the Numbers Battle, but War Rages

March 21 (LBO) - In Sri Lanka, women already outnumber men at 52 women for every 48 men and activists are warning that the proportion would increase if the war continues.

However, in the workplace prospects are not all that rosy for Sri Lanka’s ladies. Women are still a minority among Sri Lanka's parliamentarians and ministers, despite the country producing the world's first female prime minister, and later a head of state.

“In parliament, whenever the budget debate is in progress, and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs is taken up, most MPs leave the chambers to go to the lobby,” Sumedha G Jayasena, Minister, Child Development and Women’s Empowerment said.

“That is the position women are relegated to even at the highest level. We need to change this situation.”

Protecting the rights of women should not be limited to speech, but needs to be put into action as well.

Women have become the key decision maker in most households and they contribute to society in no small way.

But violence against women is still high and authorities believe that most of it goes unrecorded.

An activist organization last week claimed that if the conflict prevails for another decade or so, the population of women could increase rapidly.

“If the conflict prevails for another 10 – 15 years the population of women can increase up to 55 per cent,” Sheron Hammed, Activist, Peace Secretariat for Women

“Therefore there is a growing need to see the active participation of women in the development of the country and its decision making processes.”

Consequently, policy makers would have to give higher priority to the issue of displaced women and children in the country.

Meanwhile, a recent study shows that women are trapped at the lower end of the wage spectrum.

A female worker at the bottom end of the wage spectrum earns as much as 66 percent less than her male colleague.

The study, which was done by the Center for Poverty Analysis, also points out that poorer women face more discrimination than women who earn more than them.

A large number of Sri Lankan women are working in the informal sector, especially the agriculture sector.

The study also shows that women are limited to a range of occupations such as teaching, nursing and in the garment industry.

Last year’s budget allocated 364 million rupees for the welfare of women and children.

In this year’s budget, 1054 million rupees has been set aside for women and children’s social welfare.