PARLIAMENT

The Women's Empowerment Bill, which is to be presented in Parliament for the Second Reading tomorrow (June 04), recently received the approval of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Children, Women and Gender.

Recently (27th) the Bill was approved with conditions at the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Children, Women and Gender held, chaired by the of Member of Parliament Hon. (Mrs.) Thalatha Athukorala.

Hon. (Dr.) (Mrs.) Sudarshini Fernandopulle, Chair of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus in Parliament, Hon. (Dr.) (Mrs.) Seetha Arambepol, Co-Chairperson, Hon. (Dr.) (Ms.) Harini Amarasuriya, Sectoral Oversight Committee Member Hon. D. Weerasingha were present at this meeting.

The Chairperson of the Committee stated that the Bill will be approved on the condition that the rules and regulations related to the implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women signed by the Government of Sri Lanka should be prepared as soon as possible. Moreover, the Chairperson of the Committee emphasized that the amendments proposed by the Women Parliamentarians Caucus and the Sectoral Oversight Committee should also be included during the Committee stage.

Mrs. Yamuna Perera, Secretary to the Ministry of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment, assured the Committee that she would work to present the relevant cabinet paper within two weeks, emphasizing the need to prepare rules and regulations regarding the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

The Chairperson of the Committee emphasized that the complete benefit of the above Bill can only be achieved by preparing the rules and regulations for the implementation of the convention.

Officials of the Ministry of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment, representatives of the Attorney General's Department and the Legal Draftsman's Department were also present at the Committee meeting held.