Sri Lanka must consider law similar to India’s Women’s Reservation Bill

The Indian Parliament is debating the Women’s Reservation Bill which will reserve 33% of the seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women. The Bill, if enacted, will come into effect from 2026. Enactment of such a law in the world’s largest democracy is indeed welcome and is an example that Sri Lanka could do well to follow.

The representation of women in Sri Lanka’s Parliament is dismal and the situation is no better in Provincial, Councils and Local Authorities. In the 225 member House, there are only 13 women lawmakers but even they are rarely considered to head any of the important parliamentary committees. In 2018, the Government introduced changes to the Local Authorities Election laws reserving 25% of the seats in these bodies for women but this has not paved the way for more women to enter Parliament.

In Sri Lanka, more women are entering State universities than men. More than 60% of enrolment in State higher education institutions are females and most disciplines also produce a higher percentage of women graduates with the exception in engineering (21.5% female) and computer science (41.8% female). The same goes for the Sri Lanka Law College where enrolment of women far exceeds that of men while in private higher education institutions too, females outnumber male students. But despite these promising statistics, women lag behind men in politics.

All the leading political parties in the country are headed by men while their office bearers/executive committee/politburos, etc. are filled by men. The exceptions were Sirimavo Bandaranaike, the world’s first woman Prime Minister, who headed the once dominant Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and Chandrika Kumaratunga.

Most political parties, when asked why they don’t field more women candidates, say that not enough women come forward to contest elections. This is partly true given the nature of Sri Lankan politics, which discourages women from entering politics. The sexist attitude of the majority of men in politics including those in Parliament makes it clear why a majority of women opt to stay out. There have been instances in Parliament where abusive and demeaning languages has been used against women MPs but complaints of sexual harassment lodged by them have been brushed under the carpet, thus effectively shutting out the voice of such women.

By failing to create an environment in which women can safely engage in active politics, the country is being deprived of the services of many competent and educated women who are hesitant to enter the murky world of Lankan politics. Civil society in Sri Lanka has given voice to many women who bravely speak up on many issues such as human rights, corruption, sexism, etc. but such voices would be better heard if they enter the political arena and are able to not only speak on such issue but also guide Government policies that would make the country a better place for all Sri Lankans.

Affirmative action may not be the best way to go about getting more women into politics but given the severe under-representation of women, who make up over 51% of the country’s population, this seems the only way to make progress. The Bill under debate in India proposes the reservation to continue for 15 years. Similar legislation in Sri Lanka, for a limited period of time, would give the necessary impetus for women to enter politics and build their vote bases. There is no doubt that once such a start is given, there will be many among the country’s women who will enter politics and not only will this be an example to other women, but also contribute effectively to the progress and development of the country and wean it way from decades of mismanagement at the hands of successive governments in which women have had little or no say.