2024-02-12
News Categories : Committee News
It was stated at the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus that Gender perspectives should be integrated into the budgetary process to promote gender equality and social inclusivity as women’s participation in the formal labor force in Sri Lanka has traditionally been lower than that of men.
This was stated when the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus met recently (Feb. 08) in Parliament under the Chairmanship of State Minister Hon. (Dr.) (Mrs.) Seetha Arambepola in the first phase and Hon. (Dr.) (Mrs.) Sudarshini Fernandopulle during the second phase to further discuss matters with the relevant stakeholders to discuss the proposed gender responsive budgeting Bill.
Accordingly, it was agreed that a framework should be developed for incorporating gender considerations into budget formulation, implementation, and evaluation and to establish monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to track the impact of gender budgeting initiatives.
Furthermore, the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus also took into discussion strategizing the 25% quota for women representation in Parliament. Accordingly, the Caucus was of the view that a strategy should be put in place to change the societal perception of women in leadership. The Caucus also acknowledged the importance of working towards championing 25% or more female representation in Parliament and mobilizing women, which constitutes 50% of the country’s population for this task.
In the third phase of discussions held, the Caucus took into discussion allowing mothers with children of 2-5 years if age to migrate to work.
State Minister Hon. (Mrs.) Geetha Kumarasinghe and Members of Parliament Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari, Hon. (Dr.) Harsha de Silva, Hon. (Mrs.) Manjula Dissanayake and Hon. (Mrs.) Kokila Gunawardene, were present at this Committee meeting held.
2025-04-23
The Ministry of Transport is also requested to submit proposals within two months Sub-Committee also looks into developing a formal system to check the suitability of public transport vehicles National Transport Commission instructed to submit proposals to increase the professionalism of public transport drivers within a month Discussions were held regarding proposals to strengthen the existing legal framework to ensure the safety of public transport, including the safety of bus passengers at the Parliamentary Sub-Committee on “Strengthening the legal framework related to the transport sector and steering the transport sector in a positive direction”, established by the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation. This Sub-Committee met on 09.04.2025 under the chairpersonship of Hon. Member of Parliament, Lakmali Hemachandra, Attorney at Law, during which attention was drawn to this matter. Accordingly, officials representing the Ministry of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation and several institutions under its purview participated in the Sub-Committee meeting. Their views were obtained with regard to strengthening the legal framework to ensure the safety of passengers using public transport. The need to regulate the procedure for issuing fitness certificates for public transport buses was emphasized during the Sub-Committee. Officials stated that under Section 29 of the Motor Traffic Act, these fitness certificates are issued for buses, lorries, and ambulances by garages registered under the Provincial Councils, without regulation from the Department of Motor Traffic. Due to issues concerning the standards and reliability of these garages, the Chairperson of the Sub-Committee stressed the need to establish a formal procedure for this purpose. The necessity of enforcing “construction regulations” under Section 19 of the Motor Traffic Act was also discussed. Accordingly, detailed discussions were held regarding aspects such as the required spacing between seats, removal of unnecessary equipment, and installation of seat belts in both newly imported and existing buses for passenger safety. Based on the relevant data and information, the Ministry of Transport was instructed to prepare a report with proposals on the measures to be implemented concerning passenger safety in public transportation and submit it to the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Transport within two months. Furthermore, attention was drawn to the necessary steps to enhance the professionalism of public transport drivers. Accordingly, the Chairperson of the Sub-Committee directed the National Transport Commission to submit proposals for the standardization of the driving profession within one month. It was also instructed that data related to road accidents that occurred during the past three months be promptly submitted to the Sub-Committee. The Chairperson of the Sub-Committee emphasized the importance of preparing future recommendations based on this data. Attention was also drawn to strengthening the necessary legal provisions for enforcing the law against the use of drugs by bus drivers. Officials mentioned that regulations relevant to this matter under the Motor Traffic Act are currently in the final stage of preparation. The need to promptly implement these regulations and to properly establish the technological mechanisms required to detect drug substances in the bodies of drivers was highlighted. This Sub-Committee primarily examines possible short-term and long-term changes to laws and regulations related to the transport sector, following which a report containing the necessary recommendations is to be prepared. Hon. Member of Parliament Sugath Wasantha de Silva also participated in this Sub-Committee meeting.
2025-04-23
The second Parliamentary Sub-Committee on “Strengthening the legal framework related to the transport sector and steering the transport sector in a positive direction”, established by the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation discussed the need to focus on the transport needs of the community with disabilities. This sub-committee meeting was held on 10.04.2025 at the Parliament premises, chaired by the Hon. Member of Parliament, Lakmali Hemachandra, Attorney-at-Law. Hon. Member of Parliament Sugath Wasantha de Silva, Chair of the Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities and a member of the sub-committee, also participated in the meeting. In addition, a group of representatives, including heads of organizations and institutions representing various segments of the community with disabilities, attended the Committee meeting. Accordingly, the challenges encountered in fulfilling the transport needs of the community with disabilities and the proposals to address these issues were extensively discussed during the sub-committee meeting. It was identified that the lack of proper accessibility to transportation modes is a major issue faced by the community with disabilities. Due to the absence of appropriate access facilities for buses and trains, persons with disabilities are often compelled to rely on hired vehicles, which results in them incurring significant expenses, a concern they highlighted to the sub-committee. The representatives pointed out that although the Gazette Notification issued under the Disabled Persons (Accessibility) Regulations, No. 1 of. 2006 mandates the provision of proper facilities for this community, many institutions and individuals fail to comply with these regulations. They also brought to the attention of the sub-committee the need to ensure the effective implementation of these laws in order to deliver tangible benefits to the community with disabilities. Representatives from these organizations also indicated to the sub-committee that certain conduct by bus conductors causes serious inconvenience to individuals with disabilities. They emphasized the necessity of not only legislative reforms but also improving attitudes towards persons with disabilities The need for legislation to allocate seats on buses and trains specifically for personas with disabilities, allowing them to board buses without the need for conductors’ assistance, and ensuring appropriate communication facilities at railway stations for the convenience of the disabled. Additionally, several other issues impacting this community were addressed. Furthermore, it was pointed out that the issuance of driving licenses to individuals with hearing impairments has been discontinued. The representatives appealed to the sub-committee to intervene and ensure that this facility is reinstated for those individuals. Accordingly, the Committee Chair stated that the issues and proposals submitted by the community with disabilities should be sent in writing to the sub-committee within two weeks. She further stated that after reviewing these submissions, a final report would be submitted to the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation.
2025-04-10
More than 80 of the recommendations made by the Committee on Public Petitions during the fifth session of the ninth Parliament have not been implemented A decision was taken by the Committee to Review Non-Implementation of Recommendations of the Parliamentary Committees to grant a period of one month for the implementation of recommendations given by the Parliamentary Committees, which have not yet been implemented. This decision was taken during the meeting of the Committee held yesterday (Apr. 09) at the Parliament under the chairmanship of Hon. Minister Harshana Nanayakkara, Attorney at Law Accordingly, discussions were held on identifying the priority non-implemented recommendations that should be reviewed by the Committee. During the discussion, it was disclosed that over 80 recommendations issued by the Committee on Public Petitions during the Fifth Session of the Ninth Parliament have not been implemented. Furthermore, the Committee also decided to grant a period of one month for the implementation of recommendations that have not been acted upon, which were issued by the Committee on Public Enterprises (CoPE), Committee on Public Accounts (CoPA), and Committee on Public Finance (CoPF). As such, the Committee decided to issue letters to the respective Ministry Secretaries requesting the implementation of these non-implemented recommendations. If it is not possible to implement them within one month, the reasons for the non-implementation must be submitted in writing to the Committee. Hon. Members of Parliament Ravi Karunanayake, Oshani Umanga, and several Parliamentary officials were present at this meeting
2025-04-10
Autistic children on the rise - Over 9,000 children in Sri Lanka identified – Officials inform the Committee Proceed with the mechanism to identify children with autism at the early childhood development stage. – Hon. Minister of Women and Child Affairs Saroja Savithri Paulraj Officials of the Ministry of Education have informed the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Women and Child Affairs that a six-month training program has been proposed for students who are undergoing training to become teachers, in their respective Colleges of education on handling children with disabilities. The officials further stated that the objective of this training is to equip teachers with the necessary knowledge and attitudes to treat children with disabilities equally to other children. This matter was discussed at the meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Women and Child Affairs, held on 08.04.2025 at Parliament, chaired by Hon. Minister of Women and Child Affairs Saroja Savithri Paulraj. Hon. Deputy Minister of Women and Child Affairs, (Dr.) Namal Sudarshana, was also present at the occasion. During the discussion, officials highlighted that there has been a noticeable increase in the number of children diagnosed with autism in Sri Lanka. According to statistics, over 9,000 children have currently been identified, the officials informed the Committee. The Committee Chair emphasized that due to the lack of proper diagnosis, many children continue to suffer from various disabilities. The Chair further stated that children with autism should be identified during their early developmental stages and that only through early diagnosis can they be guided toward a healthy developmental path. Accordingly, she stressed the need to implement an active mechanism to monitor and attend to children from birth, starting from the period under the supervision of the Public Health Midwife and throughout the early childhood development stages. She also revealed that plans are in place to establish three model daycare centers in identified regions for children with autism. It was also proposed to appoint a committee to carry out the necessary arrangements for this initiative, with the intention of guiding such children through appropriate stages of development. Moreover, the Committee also engaged in an extensive discussion regarding the necessity of ensuring that children residing in children's homes and institutions due to vulnerabilities or financial hardships are provided with care within the family environment without being separated from their biological families. Officials from the Department of Probation and Child Care Services informed the Committee that placing a child under probationary care takes place only through a judicial process. Accordingly, they stated that steps will be taken to educate judges on the importance of providing care for such children within their family setting rather than institutionalizing them. The Chair also stated that steps are being taken to bring preschools operating under various mechanisms across the island under one standardized system. Additionally, officials informed the Committee that a joint policy on preschool education is currently being developed collaboratively by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs. They also stressed the importance of implementing the preschool curriculum framework that has already been drafted. The Committee also discussed at length the issue of children in plantation areas being drawn toward the use of illicit alcohol and drugs. Furthermore, concerns were raised about the increasing tendency of these children to use harmful substances such as "Babool" and "Pan Parag." It was revealed during the discussion that these harmful substances have not been included in the list of prohibited imported items by the Consumer Affairs Authority. Therefore, the Committee decided to request the Consumer Affairs Authority to take necessary steps to include these substances in the banned imports list. The Chair also revealed that there have been instances where maternity leave has not been granted during the third childbirth. Officials pointed out that according to amended laws, the same benefits provided for the first and second live births should also be granted for the third and all subsequent live births, but this has not been adequately communicated to the society. The appointment of Tamil-speaking female officers to police stations in the Jaffna District was also discussed at the Committee meeting. Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police, Ms. Renuka Jayasundara, stated that there are currently 56 female officers serving in Jaffna, of whom 21 are working in women and children's units. Among them, only around 8 female officers are capable of working in the Tamil language, she further stated. The Committee also inquired into the lack of discussion on women and children's issues within the policy frameworks of regional and district coordinating committees. District Secretaries have now been informed to ensure that such topics are included in relevant committee discussions, and it was reported that, at present, these subjects are being addressed in those committees. The importance of ensuring the participation of the chairperson of the District Coordinating Committee and all officers involved in women and children’s affairs in the Children’s Rights Promotion Committees held at the Divisional Secretariat level was also emphasized during the meeting. A number of Hon. Ministers, Hon. State Ministers, Committee Members, other Members of Parliament, and officials participated in this Consultative Committee meeting.
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