More focus needed for children, women’s issues

The distressing news of a woman who was forced to kill her husband as he attempted to take nude photos of his daughter to share online made it to the front pages of newspapers this week. The woman from Thalvita in the Kurunegala District had to take the extreme step after the girl’s father attempted to take nude photos that he wanted to post on his YouTube channel to increase the viewership as a quick way of making money. 

The woman has been taken into custody given she has committed a crime in the eyes of the law, but the incident highlights the desperation that drives women to take such extreme measures to safeguard themselves and their loved ones.

NPP National List MP Harini Amarasuriya raised this incident in Parliament on the day that the votes of the Ministry of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment were taken up for debate. Speaking after the police broke up a protest by the NPP women’s wing near the Parliament, Amarasuriya said they had been protesting against the Government decision to cut funds for women and children by 51%.

The scale of the recent tragedy needs the attention of the highest in the land as it underscores the urgent need to address the growing incidents of child phonography, sexual abuse, and violence against women that has increased in the past few years. During the months of lockdown due to COVID, there were record number of cases of child abuse reported to the Probation in Childcare Department. Similarly, there were many reported cases of women being subject to domestic abuse leading to several deaths.

There has always been a lack of political will in the country when dealing with issues affecting women and children. Women and children affairs are huddled together in one ministry (now a State Ministry) with few resources and funding for those in the institutions affiliated to the Ministry to take meaningful steps.

Women are poorly represented in Parliament and other elected bodies and while they make up a significant number in the Administrative Service and in certain other sectors, there is still a reluctance to allow them to take on a decisive role in society. Political parties are also male dominated with office bearers being over 95% male hence when it is time for an election, hardly any women make it to the ballot paper. Even if they do, there is little institutional support for them to carry out an effective campaign. Going by the recent incidents in Parliament itself, it is apparent that the few women MPs in the House have had to endure the sexist attitude of some of their male colleagues.

Sri Lankans often boast of women winning the right to vote before some of their European or American counterparts as well as electing the world’s first woman Prime Minister. We should be proud of these achievements no doubt, but we cannot hide behind these achievements while the women of this country face discrimination and injustice.

The case of a mother who had to kill her spouse to safeguard their daughter from the vile father will shock anyone. The woman in question is a mother of two and her children are now without both parents. It is a good time for those who provide pro bono legal assistance to step in and assist the person in question so that she could get a fair trial.

No doubt politicians galore will try their best to appeal to women as the elections draw near. Women make up over 51% of the voting population but issues affecting them don’t get even 1% of the attention they should get. Here is hoping that this will change next year with more women who can give voice to the problems of women getting elected to Parliament.