Source: United Nations – Geneva
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women today concluded its consideration of the ninth periodic report of Sri Lanka, with Committee Experts praising the State’s national action plan on women, peace and security, and raising questions about the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act, which permitted child marriage, and domestic violence.
One Committee Expert said the national action plan on women, peace and security was a positive step in addressing the needs of women in conflict. Were there plans to conduct a mid-term assessment of the plan?
Yamila González Ferrer, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Sri Lanka, said that the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act was amended in 2022, but there were still concerns about elements of the law. Were there plans to further amend the law, including to ban child marriage?
Another Committee Expert said at least one in five women in Sri Lanka had experienced violence from an intimate partner, and many did not report it. What was the timeline for adopting proposed amendments to the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act? What protections were provided to women victims of violence?
Introducing the report, Saroja Savitri Paulraj, Minister of Women and Child Affairs of Sri Lanka and head of the delegation, said the Sri Lankan Government was committed to upholding the rights of women and girls and advancing gender equality. This review held particular significance, as it was the country’s first engagement with an international human rights treaty body since the presidential and parliamentary elections of 2024.
Ms. Paulraj said Sri Lanka’s first national action plan for women, peace and security for 2023 to 2027 had been launched. The Government was committed to realising the full promise of the women, peace and security agenda. The delegation added that the action plan addressed displacement, and women’s protection, security and participation in peacebuilding. The State party was planning to conduct a review of the implementation of the action plan.
On the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act, the delegation said the Government had conducted consultations regarding its amendment. It was trying to strike a balance between women’s and children’s rights and cultural rights. Ms. Paulraj added that the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus had suggested setting a minimum age for marriage and establishing a multi sectoral committee to address this issue.
On domestic violence, the delegation said the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act had been amended; the amended Act would come into force this year. The Assistance to Victims Act underlined the rights of victims to be treated with respect and privacy, and to request legal, medical and psychosocial assistance. A toll-free hotline operated by female officers was available for reporting domestic violence.
In closing remarks, Ms. Paulraj said the Sri Lankan Government had undertaken significant efforts to strengthen women’s empowerment. It was fully committed to addressing the issues that women faced in the State and would continue to engage with the Committee constructively.
In her concluding remarks, Nahla Haidar, Committee Chair, said that the State party had shared candidly and transparently the progress made and difficulties it was facing. She commended the State party for its efforts and encouraged it to implement the Committee’s recommendations for the benefit of all Sri Lankan women and girls.
The delegation of Sri Lanka consisted of representatives from the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs; Attorney General’s Department; Sri Lanka Police; Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism; and the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
The Committee will issue the concluding observations on the report of Sri Lanka at the end of its ninetieth session on 21 February. All documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage. Meeting summary releases can be found here. The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings can be accessed via the UN Web TV webpage.
The Committee will next meet at 10 a.m. on Friday, 14 February to consider the sixth periodic report of Liechtenstein (CEDAW/C/LIE/6).
Report
The Committee has before it the ninth periodic report of Sri Lanka (CEDAW/C/LKA/9).
Presentation of Report
SAROJA SAVITRI PAULRAJ, Minister of Women and Child Affairs of Sri Lanka and head of the delegation, said the Sri Lankan Government was committed to upholding the rights of women and girls and advancing gender equality. This review held particular significance, as it was the country’s first engagement with an international human rights treaty body since the presidential and parliamentary elections of 2024 and the formation of the new Government in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka was proud to have a member from Sri Lanka in the Committee, Rangita de Silva de Alwis. Her contribution to this Committee’s work was highly appreciated.
Ms. Paulraj said she was the first Tamil Member of Parliament elected from the Southern Province, which had a predominantly Sinhala community. Women’s representation in Sri Lanka’s Parliament had risen from 4.8 to 9.7 per cent with the election of 22 female members in November 2024. These women included individuals from the working class and marginalised communities, including, for the first time in history, two women from the Malayaga community.
Sri Lanka was proud to have its third female Prime Minister, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya. One of the Government’s key electoral pledges had been to ensure the equal representation of women in Government. Appointing a woman to the post of Deputy Chairman of Committees of Parliament for the first time was another milestone. The Sri Lankan judiciary also had a high percentage of women at senior levels. Thirty-two per cent of Ambassadors in Sri Lanka were women. Across all levels of Sri Lanka’s diplomatic service, women were in the majority. During the reporting period, Sri Lanka Police appointed four female Deputy Inspectors General of Police and the first female Director of the Criminal Investigation Department. Many women had been appointed to the Government’s decision-making councils, commissions and boards.
The Government had made a policy commitment to reduce the burden of unpaid care work for women. Women played a crucial role in driving the economy in Sri Lanka, with their contributions being essential in generating income across key sectors. Women made up most of the workforce in industries such as garments, plantations, and as migrant workers. For the first time, a woman had been appointed as the Chairperson of the Sri Lankan Apparel Exporters Association in the corporate sector.
The Government had introduced several initiatives to support economic recovery and empower citizens, particularly focusing on women and youth. One notable proposal was the establishment of a new development bank aimed at providing new entrepreneurs, including rural and disadvantaged women, with loans without the requirement for collateral. The Sri Lanka Women’s Bureau was the national mechanism implementing projects and programmes for the social and economic development of women from national to grassroots level.
The Women Empowerment Act of 2024 introduced mechanisms to give effect to the obligations undertaken by Sri Lanka in relation to the Convention, and defined women’s right to equality and non-discrimination. A key component of this Act was to establish an independent National Commission on Women, and to provide provisions for the appointment of a Woman Ombudsperson on ensuring women’s rights and setting up a National Fund for Women.
The Land Development (Amendment) Act of 2022 had brought in provisions to ensure gender equality and non-discrimination in land inheritance. The Women’s Parliamentary Caucus had suggested setting a minimum age for marriage and establishing a multi sectoral committee to address this issue.
Addressing sexual and gender-based violence was a key priority for the Government. It would establish mechanisms to prioritise and expedite the resolution of cases involving sexual offences against women and minors, ensuring that victims received timely redress. The progress review of the first national action plan to address sexual and gender-based violence for the period 2016-2020 found a 70 per cent level of implementation. Thereafter, a second plan for the period 2024-2028 was launched in 2024. This plan focused on prevention programmes in schools, places of work, and community-based initiatives, as well as programmes on engaging men to address gender-based violence.
Children and Women Desks had been newly established in police stations, and the Government would also double the allocation for 2025 for the establishment and expansion of shelter homes for women.
Sri Lanka’s first national action plan for women, peace and security for 2023 to 2027 had been launched. The action plan was developed through an inclusive process of broad consultations with survivors of conflict and vulnerable women and children. The Government was committed to realising the full promise of the women, peace and security agenda.
Technology-facilitated gender-based violence was another pressing challenge that Sri Lanka was facing. The Government was working to implement stronger laws and policies to protect individuals from privacy violations, online stalking, and hate speech. Sri Lanka was a party to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, which focused on addressing online and technology-facilitated violence against women. The Online Safety Act of 2024 aimed to protect the vulnerable sections of the society in line with international standards.
Sri Lanka was committed to upholding human rights, gender equality, and social justice. Its foremost priority was to ensure that no one was left behind. Sri Lankan women had been active participants in the country’s development agenda and the Government was committed to addressing existing challenges and supporting women to carry out this role.
Questions by Committee Experts
YAMILA GONZÁLEZ FERRER, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Sri Lanka, said that Sri Lanka’s Constitution established that all persons had the right to live free from discrimination. However, this was not yet a reality. Sri Lanka was in the process of drafting a new Constitution. Were there plans to incorporate the rights of women and girls into the Constitution? Proposals had been made to reform criminal laws to remove discriminatory provisions affecting women related to marriage. What progress had been made in this regard?
The national human rights institution had “A” status under the Paris Principles. What actions had it implemented to protect women’s rights? Were its complaints mechanisms effective? Were there plans to update the national action plan on human rights? There were several obstacles limiting the capacity of the judicial system to protect women affected by sexual and gender-based violence and domestic violence. How was the State party strengthening the judiciary and reducing trial times?
The death penalty was legal in Sri Lanka. Although there was a de facto moratorium in place, courts continued to sentence women to death, often not considering mitigating circumstances such as gender-based violence. Could the State party provide data on women sentenced to death? Had the Convention been invoked before the courts?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said that the Constitution guaranteed the right to non-discrimination. Violations of fundamental rights could be brought before the Supreme Court, which had drawn reference to the Convention in some of its determinations. In one case, it had held that equality could be seriously impaired when women were subjected to workplace gender-based violence. The Women’s Commission was mandated to introduce mechanisms to give effect to Convention obligations.
There were several mechanisms in place facilitating access to justice. The Legal Commission of Sri Lanka provided free legal services to citizens who had incomes of less than 40,000 rupees. This threshold did not apply for cases of a domestic nature. The Human Rights Commission and the Women’s Commission were empowered to receive complaints related to human rights violations directly from victims, investigate the matter, and make recommendations. Financial assistance and counselling were provided to women victims of violence. The Prevention of Domestic Violence Act allowed for victims to make complaints directly to the police.
Sri Lanka had maintained a moratorium on the death penalty since 1978. The Supreme Court had intervened in the past to prevent the death penalty from being carried out. A recent amendment to the Penal Code increased the minimum age from which the death penalty could be applied from 16 to 18 years.
Many efforts had been made to implement the Committee’s previous concluding observations. The Government had established a coordinating committee to follow-up on the Committee’s concluding observations, in collaboration with civil society. In 2022, legislation on marriage and divorce was amended to remove all provisions permitting the marriage of a minor with parents’ permission. Legislation on inheritance had also been revised to remove its gender components.
Questions by Committee Experts
YAMILA GONZÁLEZ FERRER, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Sri Lanka, said that the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act was amended in 2022, but there were still concerns about elements of the law addressing abortion and rape. Were there plans to further amend the law? Was work underway to ensure that authorities could mainstream a gender perspective in measures promoting access to justice?
Another Committee Expert congratulated the Government on appointing a woman Prime Minister. Ms. de Silva’s contributions enriched the Committee. The national action plan on women, peace and security was a positive step in addressing the needs of women in conflict. However, challenges remained in this field. Were there plans to conduct a mid-term assessment of the plan? How would the Government ensure accountability for past conflict-related gender-based violence and ensure the rights of victims to protest and mourn publicly?
Non-governmental organizations faced financial and regulatory obstructions. How would the State party support women human rights defenders and remove restrictions on the activities of civil society?
One Committee Expert welcomed measures for increasing the political representation of women, but said the Committee was concerned by the low level of representation of women in public and private life. She commended the quota of 25 per cent representation for local government bodies, but said this was not in line with the Committee’s recommendation of 50 per cent representation. The Expert further commended an initiative to enhance the incomes of women in the agricultural sector. Had this initiative been successful? What affirmative actions had been implemented in other sectors?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the Government had conducted consultations regarding the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act. It was trying to strike a balance between women’s and children’s rights and cultural rights, and was working to ensure that the law reflected the views of the people. There was constant training of police officers and the judiciary on the Convention. Persons who caused a woman to miscarry, except to save the life of the woman, were punished, but the Government was considering legal amendments in this regard.
Sri Lanka’s civil society had made important contributions to the protection of human rights. The window in which civil society could challenge bills had been extended from seven to 14 days. Freedom of expression, speech and assembly were protected in the Constitution. The Government was committed to protecting the freedom of expression of civil society. It had simplified administrative requirements for registering non-governmental organizations. Regulatory measures were needed to prevent non-governmental organizations from engaging in money laundering and financing of terrorism. Complaints could be made regarding infringements of the rights of human rights defenders to the Supreme Court, the National Police Commission, the Women’s Ombudsperson, and the Human Rights Commission, which had produced guidelines on the protection of human rights defenders.
Women were selected to leadership roles on public bodies on merit. Their representation was improving. Sri Lanka had had the world’s first woman Prime Minister. There was no quota for appointments to roles in the public sector, but over 50 per cent of prosecutors were women. The Government had conducted several awareness raising campaigns encouraging women’s participation in public life. Diploma programmes were developed to train women to participate in political roles, and a forum had been held to advocate for increased representation of women in trade unions. Leadership courses had been held for minority women. Women’s representation in local government had risen to 25 per cent in 2018, thanks to the quota enacted in 2017. The Government aimed to increase the representation of women in Parliament and provincial councils to 30 per cent.
The women, peace and security action plan addressed displacement, and women’s protection, security and participation in peacebuilding. A steering committee had been established to implement the plan and make policy recommendations. The State party was planning to conduct a review of the implementation of the action plan.
The Government was developing a truth and reconciliation process that had the people’s trust. The Office for Reparations had reviewed more than 6,000 complaints, tracing around 180 missing persons and helping over 4,000 families to access remedies. Investigation results were accessible to the public. The national reparations policy was tabled in Parliament in 2022. It included provisions for memorialisation. The Office provided livelihood support, land rights, housing, psychosocial support and measures to prevent violence. Payments had been provided for over 11,000 individuals across various categories. An independent body had also been established to conduct investigations into historic violations.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert congratulated Sri Lanka on having the first female Prime Minister in the world and on electing its third female Prime Minister. The State party needed to consider temporary special measures such as quotas to improve women’s representation in various fields. Would the State party increase its 25 per cent quota for Parliament and other bodies?
Another Committee Expert said gender stereotypes perpetuated inequalities in Sri Lanka. What actions had been taken by the State party to promote gender equality in school curricula and tackle gender stereotypes? What was the timeline for amending the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act to ban child marriage?
At least one in five women in Sri Lanka had experienced violence from an intimate partner, and many did not report it. Women who sought justice faced discriminatory treatment in the judicial system. What was the timeline for adopting proposed amendments to the Domestic Violence Act? How would the State party address barriers to women victims accessing justice? Were gender courts available in rural areas? What protections were provided to women victims of violence? Courts did not recognise marital rape and girls over age 16 were not protected from statutory rape. How would the State party ensure that all girls without exception were protected from rape?
One Committee Expert welcomed the national action plan to combat trafficking, the Witness Protection Act, and a fund to compensate victims of violence. Was the unit working to prevent trafficking a militarised unit? Most persons trafficked to the Middle East were female domestic workers. Traffickers recruited women and girls from rural areas and forced them to work in the commercial sex industry in urban areas. Law enforcement lacked proper training on identifying trafficking. What measures were in place to ensure the protection of victims who reported trafficking crimes? Were there efforts being made to reduce the evidence threshold for declaring trafficking crimes? How did the State party ensure that victims of trafficking were not criminalised? Did police officers receive training on trafficking and labour rights?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act had been amended and would come into force this year. The Assistance to Victims Act provided for the establishment of a national authority for the protection of victims and witnesses. It underlined the rights of victims to be treated with respect and privacy, and to request legal, medical and psychosocial assistance. Female victims could request investigating officers of a particular gender.
The police had implemented specialised protective units and a targeted programme that encouraged increased reporting of domestic violence and reduced death rates. A toll-free hotline operated by female officers was available for reporting domestic violence.
The National Anti-Human Trafficking Taskforce coordinated police actions to investigate trafficking in persons. The Taskforce included members of various Government departments; it was not a militarised entity. There was also an anti-trafficking desk within the Ministry of Defence. The Government operated a shelter for female victims of trafficking, which provided health, food and other support services. Awareness raising campaigns on the importance of reporting trafficking crimes were in place. Trafficking in persons was an offence in the Penal Code. Persons who committed or conspired to commit trafficking offences were liable for a penalty of between three to 15 years imprisonment.
Persons who committed rape were punished with imprisonment for no less than seven years, or no less than 15 years when the victim was under 16. A man who had a non-consensual sexual relationship with a woman who was formerly his wife was criminalised.
Questions by Committee Experts
One Committee Expert asked whether marital rape had been criminalised, and if not, when it would be. Were there plans to provide specific services for victims of technologically-assisted gender-based violence and to provide training to stakeholders on this issue?
YAMILA GONZÁLEZ FERRER, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Sri Lanka, asked how awareness raising campaigns promoted the rights of women in vulnerable situations.
Another Committee Expert said that in 2023, 51 per cent of harmful speech online targeted women. Women’s rights groups and even the Prime Minister were targeted by online hate speech. How did legislation protect women and rights groups online? Some social media platforms had not removed harmful content due to high thresholds for removal. Did the State party plan to hold these platforms to account to protect women? Thirty-two per cent of Ambassadors were female, though women made up more than half of the foreign service. How would the State party support women to become Ambassadors? Many transgender women faced barriers in accessing residence certificates and the right to vote. How was the State party addressing these barriers?
Another Committee Expert said Sri Lankan women who married foreigners faced barriers in passing their nationality to their children. What measures were in place to ensure that women could transmit their nationality on par with their male counterparts? Tamil women, women in rural zones, and displaced women often lacked documentation to prove their nationality. Lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex women faced discrimination from police and confronted obstacles in obtaining gender recognition papers. Children born to foreign parents did not obtain Sri Lankan nationality, raising issues of statelessness for plantation workers. How was the State addressing these issues?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said statutory rape was currently rape of persons aged up to 16 years. Marital rape was not currently criminalised. The Online Safety Act aimed to promote safety for women and girls online. The Cybercrime Investigation Unit was tasked with handling all cyber-related complaints, including those related to sexual and gender-based violence and online child exploitation. It acted swiftly to remove harmful online content, including from social media platforms. Women could submit complaints of online abuse through email and hotlines. The Act established an independent Online Safety Commission that could issue directives to internet service providers, requiring them to respond to discriminatory online acts. The Commission could also disable users, remove offending content, and seek internet intermediaries to disclose the identities of offenders.
Women played a significant role in diplomatic representation at all levels. They accounted for more than 50 per cent of diplomatic mission staff, so it was likely that women would account for more than 50 per cent of Ambassadors in future.
Freedom of expression was recognised in the Constitution, but this right was not without limitation. It could not be used to infringe on the rights of others. Hate speech against political candidates could be reported to the Elections Commission, as well as the Women’s Commission and the Human Rights Commission.
The conferment of citizenship was previously linked to fathers in legislation; however, this had been amended to allow for citizenship to be conferred by both parents. Citizenship could be provided to stateless children by the State. There was no legal impediment to persons obtaining birth certificates. Tamils of Indian origin would be recognised as Sri Lankan citizens. The Government was considering programmes to provide permanent residency to members of the Malayaga community, and the members of Parliament from this community could take up this issue in the legislature. There were measures to identify stateless children and register them. Mobile units were in place that supported birth registration for families living on plantations.
The family background report system had been criticised as being discriminatory, placing the burden of childcare on women. In 2022, the Cabinet of Ministers removed the mandatory family background report for women seeking work abroad and lowered the age limit for them. The Government was supporting access to caretakers for children aged two and above. It sought to support both women and men to seek work overseas without compromising their family’s welfare.
Questions by Committee Experts
One Committee Expert asked whether the Online Services Act was effective. Had there been any prosecutions under it? What was the State party doing to implement local elections, which had not been held since 2018, and to support women’s participation in those elections?
A Committee Expert asked whether the period of free birth registration would be extended.
One Committee Expert said Sri Lanka had made achievements regarding girls’ education. Girls’ literacy rate was over 90 per cent, which was much higher than many other countries in the region. However, child marriages remained a challenge in rural communities and were a major reason for girls dropping out of schools. The COVID-19 pandemic also affected girls in rural areas, as they had limited opportunities to participate in online education. The computer literacy rate on plantations was less than half that of other regions.
Stereotypes hindered the access of Muslim women and girls to education. What measures had the State party taken to combat dropouts of girls in primary and secondary education? What measures were in place to promote gender mainstreaming in education? How did the State party ensure that girls of all religions could access education? What activities were carried out to prevent stereotypes in education?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the Online Safety Act was a new law. There had yet to be prosecutions under the law. The related Commission would soon be set up and would be able to investigate complaints.
Every citizen over the age of 18 who was qualified to be an elector could become one. Sri Lanka had established an independent Election Commission that could investigate complaints of violations and issue sanctions. The Supreme Court had upheld the right to vote and held that any impediment to such was a violation. The law on local government elections was being revised; once this had concluded, local elections could be held.
The education system was committed to ensuring equal access for all students, regardless of gender. The provision of free school meals and textbooks allowed for girls from poor families to pursue their education. The State party was committed to reducing the burden that education placed on parents. Education was compulsory until age 16. An initiative to provide girls with sanitary pads was implemented in 2024, benefitting 800,000 girls. Scholarships were provided to girls from low-income families to participate in technology studies. There had been an increase in the share of girls participating in science, technology, engineering and maths courses in university in recent years; the share was currently 37 per cent.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert commended the State party for establishing sexual harassment committees and creating a labour complaints mechanism. Most women worked in the informal sector, where they lacked labour rights and were vulnerable to abuse. Many informal sector workers lacked access to social security, leave and childcare services. What measures were in place to protect the rights of women in the informal sector? Did the State party plan to establish mechanisms to allow domestic workers to seek redress in cases of abuse? Were there plans to extend paid maternity leave to at least 14 weeks and promote shared parental leave? Were there plans to ratify International Labour Organization Conventions 181, 189 and 190? The number of Sri Lankan migrant domestic workers had increased in recent years. These workers often faced abuse from their employers. How were these workers informed about their rights and protected from abuse?
Another Committee Expert commended Sri Lanka’s commitment to strengthening public health care. Persistent barriers obstructed women’s sexual and reproductive health rights. How would State policies address these barriers? Restrictive laws forced many women to resort to unsafe abortions. What steps had been taken to ensure women’s safe access to abortion? What measures were in place to prevent forced sterilisation and ensure informed consent? Girls faced challenges in accessing information on contraception, leading to high rates of early pregnancies. What measures were in place to reduce early pregnancies? Many schools in rural areas lacked proper sanitation facilities, forcing girls to miss school during menstrual periods. There was also a very high tax of 47 per cent on menstrual products. How was the State party supporting access to sanitation facilities and menstrual products for women and girls?
Female genital mutilation continued to be practiced in some Muslim communities. There was no law criminalising female genital mutilation in Sri Lanka. When would one be developed? What awareness raising campaigns on female genital mutilation were in place? Some women experienced obstetric violence during childbirth. Did the State party intend to implement measures to prevent such practices?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said women spent more time than men in unpaid domestic work in Sri Lanka. The Government had taken steps to train care workers to improve the availability of childcare and disability care services for working mothers and reduce the burden of unpaid care work. Sri Lanka was interested in ratifying International Labour Organization Convention 190. The necessary amendments had been incorporated into legislation. The State had also implemented policies to promote women’s employment. The Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment was conducting consultations with stakeholders to strengthen protections of Sri Lankan domestic workers overseas. The Women’s Empowerment Act aimed to address the gender pay gap.
Taxes on sanitary products and baby formula had been removed. Budgetary allocations had been ensured for sexual and reproductive health services across the country. All students from sixth grade received sexual and reproductive health education, which addressed preventing unwanted pregnancies. Medical practitioners who practiced or promoted female genital mutilation were sanctioned. There were no specific offences on female genital mutilation or obstetric violence, but these acts were prohibited under general legislation on violence.
Questions by Committee Experts
One Committee Expert commended the State party on working to ensure the empowerment of women and girls through the rural employment programme and programmes on digital transformation. What concrete actions were being taken to ensure that vulnerable women and girls were aware of the economic empowerment policies in place? How was the State party preventing the abuse of women by financial institutions and regulating lending practices? Had the State party assessed fiscal reforms and their impacts on the rights of women and girls? How was the State party mitigating the unfair financial burden of tax on women and girls? What measures were in place to increase the representation of women and girls in decision making related to economic empowerment? What measures were there to support female athletes to overcome structural barriers in sports?
Another Committee Expert said female tea plantation workers continued to have less access to Government subsidies and microcredit due to their lack of access to land ownership. How was this being addressed? Women with disabilities continued to face stigma and discrimination, and infrastructure was not adapted to persons with disabilities. How was the State party working to make inclusive education programmes more adapted to persons with disabilities? There were also persistent hate crimes against lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex women. What measures were in place to prevent such hate crimes? Same sex sexual acts were criminalised; would they be decriminalised? What reforms had been made to ensure adequate facilities for women in prisons? Were women prisoners allowed to live with their young children in prisons?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the Government had implemented various welfare measures for persons in poverty. Around 1.7 million households benefited from welfare support. There were various Government programmes for empowering women-led households. The banking system had also provided special loan schemes with favourable interest rates and flexible return policies for women entrepreneurs during the financial crisis. Banks had offered advisory services and capacity building programmes for women entrepreneurs. The State had been regulating lending institutions. Support had been provided to 185 rural women affected by unregulated microcredit schemes. A socioeconomic protection scheme helped to ease loss of income due to unemployment.
Sri Lanka had undertaken various initiatives to empower women to engage in technology studies and the digital economy. The national strategy for women’s development promoted women’s digital freedom and security. Many women entrepreneurs had been trained on digital skills.
Sanitary facilities in prisons had been improved to ensure a comfortable stay for women, and facilities for children in prison with their mothers had also been improved. There were plans to establish a separate women’s prison aligned with international standards.
The police had been instructed on protecting the fundamental rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons and investigating complaints from these persons. A bill had been lodged in Parliament on decriminalising same-sex relations. The Supreme Court had found that there was no barrier to the amendment of this legislation. The bill had yet to be considered due to the dissolution of Parliament.
Questions by Committee Experts
YAMILA GONZÁLEZ FERRER, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Sri Lanka, asked whether the law on terrorism could be used to prevent the operation of women’s organizations.
Another Committee Expert welcomed the State party’s efforts to ensure women’s equal rights in law and family relations. Had measures been taken to amend the Penal Code to ensure that legislation on statutory rape protected all girls under age 16, including girls over age 12 who were married? The Committee expected that the State party would address legislation on polygamy. When would the State party revise the family law to allow women to have equal rights to men concerning custody of children? What was the status of legal amendments seeking to strengthen the rights of widows?
NAHLA HAIDAR, Committee Chair, said that, while respecting the freedom of belief, the State party needed to work to protect the rights of Muslim women and girls.
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the law on terrorism had not been used to limit the activities of women’s organizations in recent years. The law was only used in instances when it was necessary.
The amended Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act set the age of marriage at 18, but children from age 16 could be married with parental consent. The previous Cabinet of Ministers had approved the amended bill, and the new Government would consider whether to take this legislation forward. The Parliamentary Caucus had proposed the establishment of a committee to address the issue of child marriages.
Concluding Remarks
SAROJA SAVITRI PAULRAJ, Minister of Women and Child Affairs of Sri Lanka and head of the delegation, said Sri Lanka participated in the review in a spirit of openness. It appreciated the Committee’s recognition of the progress it had made and the challenges it faced. The Government had undertaken significant efforts to strengthen women’s empowerment. It was fully committed to addressing the issues that women faced in the State. Ms. Paulraj thanked the Committee for the constructive dialogue. The Government was committed to the promotion and protection of the human rights of all Sri Lankans and would continue to engage with the Committee constructively.
NAHLA HAIDAR, Committee Chair, said that the State party had shared candidly and transparently the progress made and the difficulties it was facing. The dialogue had helped the Committee to better understand the situation of women and girls in Sri Lanka. It commended the State party for its efforts and encouraged it to implement the Committee’s recommendations for the benefit of all women and girls in the State party.
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