By Pradeep Prasanna Samarakoon

Female local government members are planning to sink their political differences and form a front against what they call unfair male domination in their councils.

Addressing the media at Thalawatugoda on Saturday Maharagama Urban Council SLFP Member Chandrika de Zoysa said that their male counterparts did not allow them to speak at council meetings.

“This is a problem not limited only to the Maharagama UC. Female members are treated likewise in all MCs, UCs and Pradeshiya Sabhas. Whenever we try to speak the male council members irrespective of their party affiliations shout at us and humiliate us. Their domination is mostly overlooked and we have no chance to speak on the problems of the people who had voted for us.”

She said that the male council members hurled verbal abuse and addressed them in vulgar language and cracked dirty jokes much to the annoyance of female members. “We intend to form an organisation against these elements.

UNP Member of the Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte Municipal Council Harshani Sandaruwani said that the gender-based discrimination prevailing in the local government had to be ended forthwith. “We are harassed by male council members and they gang up overlooking their party differences to hurl various verbal abuse at us. The female council members are helpless. We have no one to turn to. Therefore, we decided to form an organisation of female council members countrywide and raise our voice.”

“We are elected representatives of people who pay rates. It is our duty to raise their problems but the gender-based discrimination prevailing in the MCs, UCs and Pradeshiya Sabhas does not permit us to do our job.”

Maharagama SLPP UC member Savithri Gunasekera said that there were 24 female members in the Maharagama UC of which the total number of members was 47. “We have more than half of the council members but none of us is able to speak at the council meeting. Some of the female members are scared of speaking about this problem openly for fear of reprisal. We call on the relevant authorities to bring in new laws to prevent the harassment by male council members. Whenever we submit a motion it is removed. This is a great injustice.”