Meet the new ladies

By Dilrukshi Handunnetti

The Twelfth Parliament of Sri Lanka will have three first time women legislators - Mallika, wife of senior politician Ronnie de Mel, Mary Larine, wife of UNP heavyweight Festus Perera and Chitra Manthilake, the opposition leader of the Central Provincial Council.

All three candidates have certain factors in common. They have entered the legislature and the hurly-burly of active politics rather late and they are also against the creation of a quota system to increase female representation in Parliament, even though they feel it definitely needs to be strengthened. 

Mallika de Mel, the wife of many times Fi nance Minister Ronnie de Mel successfully contested the recent general election polling 60,531 preferential votes. Representing Devinuwara, she attributes her political victory to a long established family record of genuinely serving the masses.

She was the wind beneath her husband's wings, having nursed his electorate for over 35 years leaving her husband to engage himself in legislative work. The chairperson of the "Dakshina Sahana Padanama", a charity for orphans and destitute children, her concerns for a long time have been social welfare and playing a supportive role to her husband. 

With a political vacuum in the PA Matara district organization following PA strongman Mahinda Wijesekera's defection to the UNF, Mallika de Mel was compelled to take the political plunge, heeding a public request to give the people representation at Parliamentary level. 

" I have been more concerned about working for the welfare of women and children throughout my life. There is a lot of noise created about serving them, but there is a lot more to achieve on their behalf," she noted. 

Having entered the legislature as a senior citizen, she still believes that women should prove their mettle in the competitive arena of politics the way they have in other spheres considered male bastions for decades. And that means not expecting quotas to facilitate better representation. "The refusal to compete and seeking special treatment itself is an admission of defeat and an admission of being less capable than men. I personally believe that women are more involved and committed so they should just cultivate that competitive edge," she said.

Admitting that there is inadequate female representation at the decision making level, especially at legislative level, she emphasizes the need to increase representation. " Women should attempt to understand ground realities and identify the areas of concern. Sadly, I think the younger generation is out of touch with reality to a certain extent," she noted.

Mrs. de Mel also said that Matara being a poor, underdeveloped district with large scale unemployment in the South, deserved a massive development project to uplift the people.

An express highway from Hambantota to Colombo, an express railway, a port and an airport are required to inject development into the Southern region, she said, adding that though constrained by becoming an opposition legislator, she would certainly do her best to achieve these goals for the people of the South. 

Mary Larine Perera, a former Provincial Council Minister and wife of former UNP Cabinet Minister Festus Perera is another woman candidate who will enter the new Parliament on Wednesday. The former Minister of Fisheries, Women's Affairs and Social Services in the Wayamba Province, she is entering the legislature after a long stint as provincial councillor. 

"Lot of people would consider this to be a time for quiet reflection and not to hurl myself into parliamentary politics. I was happy being in provincial politics, especially because my husband was active at the national level. When my husband was offered the nomination, he requested the party leader to allow me to contest instead of him," she explained.

The only Puttalam woman candidate who secured victory this time, Mary Larine admitted that there was a certain glass ceiling, preventing women from getting involved in politics, created by social and cultural factors.

"I feel women are more careful about their reputation, and as mothers, wives and daughters, we are concerned about avoiding scandals that might tarnish our family reputation. But we should not get defeated even before we get started. I believe the male domains are slowly cracking up," she noted.

And she too shares Mallika de Mel's sentiments about increasing female representation at legislative level, but refuses to advocate a quota system which she feels is an admission of inequality and incompetence. " If we accept that, then we admit that this is a man's world. Instead, women should be brave enough to contest along with men and secure victory," she said.

Considering the elevation from provincial to national level a big step, she feels that she was happier serving the province as it fortified her link with the people in her electorate. 

"But I think it would be easier to develop the area as a government legislator," she noted, adding that she would want to improve the lot of the long suffering fisher community and address issues like drinking water, agricultural requirements and education. 

Among the three new faces, Chitra Manthilake is the undisputed self-made politician. A gifted orator, she gave up a teaching career to enter the co-operative movement and was launched as a provincial politician by the UNP. 

Unlike the other two who are wives of successful politicians, apart from hailing from a pro- UNP family, she has had no political background. Having given up teaching to work in the Co-operative Movement, she was a project director when she was spotted by then President R. Premadasa way back in 1993 during a garment factory opening in Hasalaka. 

With her people-friendly attitude, Manthilake was politically launched soon afterwards, and she entered the Central Provincial Council as its single woman representative.

Securing a massive mandate, she entered the provincial body in 1999 and a year later became the opposition leader of the council. 

Manthilake noted that a woman in politics was not looked upon kindly by society, but added that she refused to be defeated by the patriarchal attitudes that sometimes tended to keep women down.

"I have one big regret in my life. I was a good sportswoman all my life, but when I qualified to enter the national netball team way back in 1966, parental pressure prevented me from pursuing a career in national sports. When I lost that, I thought of fighting back in some way, and through the co-operative movement and later through provincial politics, I strove to achieve something- not to boost my ego, but to ensure that I also make my humble contribution to this country," she said.

Now that she has gained entry to the legislature, Chitra Manthilake feels that she could work better. "Provincial politics can be somewhat confining. As I have already been a PC member and have laid a firm foundation, I could perhaps be the link between Parliament and the Provincial Council. However, if the UNP leader wants me to stay back as the opposition leader, I would happily stay back, she added. 

Citing roads, infrastructure, education and heath as concerns of the district, Chitra Manthilake is very vocal about enhancing women's representation at all levels. " I feel we are not heard enough, and our views are not given enough consideration either. But if we wish to prove something, then we should forget the privileged position of a quota system and compete with men, shoulder to shoulder and show them that if they can, we can do better," she added. 

The three new women legislators, full of anticipation and preparing for their swearing in, collectively feel that women should try to carve out a niche for themselves and develop a competitive edge to contest and enter Parliament without hoping for structural reforms and quota systems to make things easy for them. 

And yes, they also regret the fact that young women seem to lack the will to test their skills and seem to have happily left the responsibility in their hands- members of a different vintage.

" Sometimes we wonder 'Where have all the young women gone'?" 

How they came in

Mallika de Mel:( PA- Matara District)

Having dedicated herself to social service and nurturing Devinuwara, her husband's electorate, this amiable grandmother decided to test her political abilities by entering the fray this year. Despite this being her first effort at contesting a national level election, she polled an impressive 60,532 preferential votes and will have the rare distinction of representing Parliament along with her husband Ronnie de Mel from the opposition benches.

Mary Larine Perera: ( UNP- Puttalam District)

The only successful candidate out of three women in the Puttalam district, she sees the opportunity as an extension of her work in the provincial council. She polled 46,043 preferential votes at the recent election.

A devout Catholic who has worked for the fisher community in Puttalam, Mary Larine is also the Wennapuwa Football Association President. She is the mother of two children.

Chitra Manthilake: ( UNP- Kandy District)

Educated at Good Shepherd Convent and High School, Kandy, she began her professional life as a teacher. She joined the co-operative movement and was regularly promoted as she travelled abroad extensively doing research connected to her work. 

In 1979, she was adjudged the best woman farmer in the Central Province and also graduated from the University of Colombo with a degree in humanities and social sciences.

Having entered provincial politics a decade ago, in 1999, she rose to the level of opposition leader. A mother of two school going children, she entered the legislature this December polling 51,768 preferential votes.