More than 135 women and women’s organizations have written to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, urging urgent steps to make the National Women’s Commission fully effective.
The letter highlights the rising incidence of violence against women in Sri Lanka, including abuse at home, in workplaces, public spaces, and online. It cites incidents such as the Prime Minister facing sexual assaults and activists like Swastika Arulingam being verbally abused online by MP Ramanathan Archuna.
Although commission members have been appointed, the groups say it remains inactive, lacking a budget, staff, office space, resources, and even an official seal. They also argue that handling Right to Information requests through the Ministry of Women’s Affairs undermines the commission’s independence and violates its constitutional mandate.
The activists, calling the commission the result of women’s hard-fought struggles, accuse the government of enabling misogyny and sexist influences by keeping it inactive.
They are asking the president to:
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Allocate adequate funding and resources
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Provide independent office space
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Ensure the commission’s autonomy from the Ministry of Women’s Affairs
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Set a clear timeline for when it will be fully operational
