Recognized the need to appoint an Ombudswoman: President

The Government is to establish a National Women’s Commission as an independent body through an Act of Parliament, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said in his International Women’s Day message.

He said measures required to present the Act on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment have already been initiated and that the government has recognized the need to appoint an Ombudswoman.

Female representation to directorate boards in plantations and apparel sectors is to be increased as well, the President said.

“I recall that the Ministry of Women’s Affairs of Sri Lanka was temporarily designated as one of my portfolios, with the objective of maximising the contribution of this country’s women, in the journey to build a resilient nation, by utilising their multiple attributes,” he said.

He added that the Government is further committed to increasing women participation in management and political decision-making, and therefore has implemented a comprehensive program to secure an increase of women’s representation not only in Parliament, but also in the public and private sectors.

“The Government has already implemented plans to empower women with required skills based on equality, in order to broadly contribute to the country’s economy, with the goal of creating a generation of courageous women, who understand their role in the contemporary world,” he said.

President Wickremesinghe requested women of this country to support the Government’s new reform program in rebuilding the country’s collapsed economy and creating a successfully developed nation in 2048.