ECONOMYNEXT – A Women’s Caucus in Sri Lanka’s parliament has commissioned a survey on gender pay gaps with the intention of bringing legislation to narrow the gap, the group’s Chairperson Dr Sudarshani Fernandopulle said.
“We are conducting a survey to identify the places that have a gender pay gap, so we can bring in necessary legislation to minimise it,” Fernandopulle said during a debate to pass a bill on Womens’ Empowerment.
Though salary scales in the government sector are equal regardless of gender, it is not so in the private sector.
“Women are paid less than men for doing the same job.” Equality has not been achieved by appeals alone and legislation was necessary, she said.
“No matter how advanced our women are thanks to free education and free healthcare, their participation in formal employment is still at 35 percent.”
While state agencies set equal pay, women in decision making roles were still low within them, Fernandopulle said.
This was particularly bad in political parties, where most decision-making positions were held by men.
“We have talked to the general secretaries of political parties and asked that they amend their party constitution to facilitate 25 percent representation of women. Their nomination boards don’t include women. We recommended that there should be 33 percent women members in decision making positions within a party.
“Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister introduced the 25 percent quota for women in provincial councils, and thanks to that we have about 23 percent of very capable women now in provincial council level. We want to see this quota for the parliament too.
“At least 50 percent of the 29 Members of Parliament that are appointed through the national list should be women.”
She said most legislators starting from Adeline Molamure in 1931 had come into the legislature because of a male family member passing away.
“I am not saying all, but some. We have to change this situation.” (Colombo/Jun5/2024)