News
President instructs Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus to finalise Gender Equality Bill soon
At a meeting held at the Parliament complex recently, President Ranil Wickremesinghe instructed the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus to finalise the Gender Equality and Women Empowerment Bill within the first six months of next year, The meeting was held to review the current progress and future activities of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus.
MP Sudarshini Fernandopulle, Chair of the Caucus, stated that the Ministry of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment, and the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus, have jointly initiated work on this Bill.
The President instructed the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus to prepare the preliminary plans related to the establishment of a separate agency for women and gender together with the Ministry of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment and assured that it will be established soon. He emphasized the importance of carrying out these activities with the coordination of all relevant institutions in the formulation of laws and policies.
President Wickremesinghe also instructed the officials to provide foreign training for those involved in women and children’s affairs.At the commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of Independence, the President also instructed the women parliamentarians to organize a series of programmes on women’s and children’s rights as well as gender equality.
The female parliamentarians requested the President to appoint a separate commission for women’s rights and gender equality. The need to increase the representation of women in politics was also discussed. These MPs pointed out the need to give more opportunities to female candidates in polls, including parliamentary elections.
They requested the President not to reduce the existing 25% quota for women in the local council elections and the President said that there is no expectation of reducing it at all.The President also said that steps will be taken to solve the existing vacancies of female police officers immediately. The President also stated that steps will be taken to inform the Inspector General of Police to allocate a space for women to submit their complaints in a way that protects the privacy in every police station.
In addition, the need to prevent mothers, with children under five years of age, from traveling abroad, and the protection of the rights of women, incarcerated in prisons, and other issues concerning women and children, were also discussed.
The government, under heavy Opposition fire over inclusion of a sex website in the Grade 6 English module, as well as overall education reforms, has decided to put on hold reforms in respect of Grade 6.
Cabinet Spokesman and Media and Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa announced the government decision yesterday (13) at the post-Cabinet media briefing at the Information Department.
According to him, the decision had been taken at the previous day’s Cabinet meeting, chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Dr. Jayatissa said that education reforms pertaining to Garde 6 had been put on hold until 2027.
The Minister said that other proposed education reforms would be implemented as planned. The Minister said that action would be taken against those responsible for the inclusion of a link to a sex website following investigations conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department and the National Education Institute.
The SJB and several other political parties, as well as civil society groups, have accused the government of promoting an LGBTQ agenda, through the proposed education reforms.
The Opposition grouping Mahajana Handa, on Monday, made representations to the Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatta Chapter regarding the controversial reforms, while urging their intervention to halt the project.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday (13) vowed to go ahead with his government’s agenda, regardless of the destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Emphasising the responsibility on the part of all to contribute to the post-Ditwah recovery efforts, President Dissanayake said that he would have complete faith in the public service.
The President said so at the launch of the re-building Sri Lanka project at the BMICH yesterday.
The JVP and NPP leader said that he wouldn’t take advantage of the death and destruction caused by the cyclone or use the situation as an excuse to reverse their agenda or weaken it.
President Dissanayake said that in spite of many calling for amending the then Budget, in view of the cyclone, the government presented the proposals that were agreed before the disaster struck.
The United States has announced that it will provide the Sri Lanka Air Force with 10 US Navy TH-57 helicopters free of charge.
The announcement was made by outgoing US Ambassador Julie Chung, who stated, on social media, that the helicopters would be transferred under the United States’ Excess Defence Articles programme. The aircraft are Bell 206 Sea Ranger helicopters previously operated by the US Navy.
US sources said that the transfer was intended to strengthen Sri Lanka’s disaster response capabilities, following the devastating cyclone that struck the island at the end of 2025 and killed more than 600 people. US officials have framed the move as a humanitarian measure aimed at improving aerial rescue and relief operations.
Fair weather will prevail except for a few showers in the Uva, Eastern, Western and Central provinces and in Galle, Matara and Rathnapura districts
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Govt. bows to pressure, shelves Grade 6 reforms
AKD: Govt. agenda on track despite Ditwah disaster
SL to receive 10 helicopters from US
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