Govt . to introduce framework to protect women and girls

The Government plans to activate a stable legal mechanism towards the creation of a safe environment, free from violence for women and girls in Sri Lanka. A special ministerial sub committee will be named to ensure the efficient working of such a legal framework.

The Task Force on the Prevention of Violence against Women and Girls handed in their Action Plan to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe 22 April and tasks relevant to each Ministry in this regard were also allocated accordingly.

The Prime Minister appointed The Task Force on the Prevention of Violence against Women and Girls, in May 2015.  A comprehensive report was presented in December 2014 on the topic of prevention of violence against women and girls, prepared by a Special Committee commissioned by the Prime Minister when he was the Opposition Leader.

The Task Force chaired by Prof. Savithri Gunesekera took into consideration the contents of said Report in preparing their Action Plan ; they also obtained information and feed back from many stakeholders in society and other social groups in this regard.

The Prime Minister has instructed that a mechanism be developed within the next 6 weeks to activate the suggested Action Plan; he further instructed that a monitoring procedure be developed to facilitate the process.

Minister of Health and Indigenous Medicine  Rajitha Senaratne, Secretary to the Prime Minister, Secretaries of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Women and Children’s Affairs, Education, Justice, Health and Indigenous Medicine, the Attorney General, the IGP, the Legal Draughtsman, Chairman of the University Grants Commission and other state officials and members of the Task Force on the Prevention of Violence against Women and Girls were present at the occasion.