News
Women reach for power that only males enjoyed
The plight of female migrant workers stranded overseas, free trade zone workers suffering due to the pandemic, online harassment of women and the lack of female representation in politics were among issues highlighted by women’s organisations on International Women’s Day this week.
Chamila Thushari of Dabindu Collective, an organisation that advocates protecting and promoting female workers’ rights in free trade zones, said despite being the backbone of the economy, female garment workers have not been given priority in the government’s vaccine programme.
No action has been to improve their lodging facilities, she added: the women continue to live in cramped boarding houses with the pandemic threat still prevalent.
“Many female workers had their pay cut when they were sent into quarantine or were under treatment for two weeks. Most didn’t get the Rs. 5,000 government relief as they were not residents of the area in which they worked,” Ms Thushari said.
“COVID-infected workers who completed the 14-day treatment had to stay for another two weeks in their boarding houses with no way of finding food, even. There were some who just had one meal a day during their home quarantine period.”
“These girls are heavily in debt. They are in fear of contracting COVID. The government should prioritise the vaccine for them. Even during lockdown, they continued to work. The management and BOI should consider getting them vaccinated,” the advocate said.
Working Women’s Front General Secretary Yogeswari Krishnan said even though their daily wage had just been increased to Rs. 1,000, women in the plantation sector still suffered from long-standing problems such as lack of basic facilities, domestic violence and workplace harassment.
“Unavailability of drinking water, dispensaries short of qualified doctors, and shortages of medicine and ambulance services still have an impact on pregnant women and the elderly. The trade unions representing the female workers are male-dominant. For most of them, all a female worker means is a vote.
“This year, we will be focusing on encouraging educated women in the sector to apply for positions, not only teaching, but to enter politics and to apply for positions such as supervisor,” Ms. Krishnan said.
The Secretary of Women for Rights, Samanmalie Gunasinghe, said many female migrant workers stranded in the Middle East not only lost jobs but are struggling to pay the cost of two weeks’ compulsory quarantine.
“We get calls from migrant workers, the majority from Kuwait, pleading with us to get them back home,” Ms. Gunasinghe said.
“Some have lost jobs, and some who have been discharged from hospitals have nowhere to go sleeping on the streets in congested safe houses. Finding jobs is not easy when there is a global pandemic.”
Ms. Gunasinghe also said many women in rural areas in the Northern and North-Central provinces are caught in micro-finance scams.
“The pandemic resulted in losses of jobs, especially those in the informal sector, new startups and small-scale businesses. To support their families, women borrowed money or obtained small loans to start up a shop or buy a three-wheeler. We continue to demand that the authorities cease microfinance debt collection and conduct a debt audit and stop legal action against borrowers until proper investigations are carried out,” she said.
Ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8, female parliamentarians requested Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena to appoint a select committee to look into gender-based discrimination and violations of women’s rights and submit recommendations to parliament.
The official website of the 12-member Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus was also launched this week. (https://slwpc.org/).
“It is only when there is a strong representation of women in politics and decision-making positions that we can address issues faced by women, and work towards lasting solutions,” MP Dr. Harini Amarasuriya said.
“We are trying to ensure the 25 per cent quota for women in local government is given to parliament as well. Unfortunately, there is reluctance within parties to appoint and allocate funds for female candidates to be elected to parliament,” she said.
Dr. Amarasuriya said through the proposed select committee she and colleagues hoped to highlight problems faced by women, and push for remedial measures.
“We have plans to mentor young females who have potential leadership qualities to enter politics. Parties should extend their support for this,” she said.