Role of the parliament for enforcing gender equality in Sri Lanka

Abstract

The paper examines role of the parliament for enforcing gender equality in Sri Lanka. Gender equality does not mean that men and women become the same. Achieving gender equality requires women’s empowerment to ensure that decision-making at private and public levels and access to resources are no longer weighted in men’s favour, so that both women and men can fully participate as equal partners in productive and reproductive life1. The Sri Lankan women contribute to socio-cultural and economic development as a key player. There are no legal or institutional barriers for equality of women. However, there are only some cultural barriers which are common in Sri Lanka as well as South Asia. Further, political participation is not satisfactory in Sri Lanka compared to other democratic countries. Therefore, laws and institutional frameworks are needed to fulfill gender equality successfully. In this respect, The Parliament of Sri Lanka is playing a significant role to enforce gender equality.