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UNDP exhibition highlights women’s struggles amidst economic hardships and calls for gender equality action

Published

3 years ago

2024/03/12

UNDP Resident Representative in Sri Lanka Azusa Kubota addressing the event

UNDP Resident Representative in Sri Lanka Azusa Kubota says that women in households have been at the forefront of taking the brunt of the hardships while trying their very best to protect the well-being of their families and communities, with fast-disappearing economic means.

She said so speaking at the Launch of UNDP’s Mobile Interactive Gender Exhibition‘A Journey of Transformation and Women’s Empowerment’ held from the 7th to 10th of March, 2024 at the National Museum, Colombo.

She said: Colombo is the 3rd destination for this exhibition. It first started in Kandy in November last year, followed by Kurunegala last week. We are thrilled to open the exhibition at this historic museum in the Nation’s Capital on the eve of International Women’s Day with the theme of ‘Invest in Women’. And we are deeply grateful for your presence to witness its opening.

We have come a long way as a global community, yet we know that gender bias persists, well into the 21st century.

No matter where women live, women are paid less, shoulder more unpaid housework, child and elderly care, and are wildly under-represented in leadership roles both in the public and private sectors. In 59 countries where women are now more educated than men, their income is still on average a staggering 39 per cent less. Women are better educated than ever before, including here in Sri Lanka, but this has not been enough to close the income gap.

Here in Sri Lanka, in the aftermath of a series of cascading crises, 31% of Sri Lanka’s population lives in poverty. Sri Lanka’s first Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI), published last year by UNDP Sri Lanka and Oxford University, outlines that 55.7% of Sri Lankans are multidimensionally vulnerable.

Women in households have been at the forefront of taking the brunt of the hardships while trying their very best to protect the well-being of their families and communities, with fast-disappearing economic means.

Over and above the economic hardships, women continue to face violence. Even before the pandemic, the 2019 Women’s Wellbeing Survey, conducted by UNFPA and the government, revealed that in Sri Lanka, one in five ever-partnered women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. 1 in 4 have experienced physical and/or sexual violence since age 15 by a partner or non-partner.

It is not hard to imagine that the growing socio-economic pressures have resulted in increased incidents of violence against women, as witnessed globally during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gender equality is the 5th Sustainable Development Goal, and its principle is the foundation for all 17 Goals. It is because inequality hurts, and a sustained development process is not possible by leaving half of the global population behind in decision-making processes. A recent UN study estimated that if we continue at the current pace, we will need another 300 years to achieve gender equality.

Then we must ask the question – what would it take to accelerate our efforts towards gender equality? Certainly, we do not have 300 years to wait around.

And in UNDP we believe that the solution lies in shifting our mental models. UNDP’s most recent Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI) 2023 quantifies biases against women, capturing people’s attitudes on women’s roles along four key dimensions: political, educational, economic and physical integrity. The report revealed that around 90 per cent of men and 87 per cent of women hold internal biases against women—roughly the same numbers as a decade ago. This means we are not progressing in changing our perceptions about gender roles.

The gender-based biases, which we carry into voting booths, board meetings, interview panels and beyond, are barriers to women achieving their full potential.

To bring about the necessary shifts in our biases, we wanted to tell stories of courage and inspiration led by women. There are role models whose stories challenge our biases. And they are often ordinary women you find in your family and communities.

In my travels across the country, I have witnessed first-hand heroines in action who are constantly trying their best to break these barriers. The stories of determination, resilience and kindness often remain unheard, yet serve as a reminder of the inherent core of what it means to be a woman leader in her own right.

After interacting with women across the country, I was firmly convinced of the importance of investing in women across Sri Lankan communities. And when we do that, the results will have an exponential impact because women invest in others – often the most vulnerable and marginalized members of the family and community.

While touring the exhibition, you will quickly see that achieving gender equality must go well beyond addressing the trends and symptoms that are visible.

We must go deep below the iceberg to understand the existing mental models and systems that give rise to what is visible and invest in women from all angles.

As evident from the spirit of the National Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Policy, attaining gender equality requires a broad-based approach and multistakeholder partnership. This is why UNDP has worked closely with all stakeholders across sectors, who share our collective vision for the betterment of the well-being of women in Sri Lanka and beyond.

These meaningful stories of transformation range from women’s contributions to food security, climate adaptation, community-led action and livelihoods. These efforts, supported by UNDP Sri Lanka in partnership with many of you in this room over the years, have been instrumental for us in achieving the Gold status of the Gender Equality Seal in UNDP.

The Gender Equality Seal is UNDP’s corporate standard for gender equality. UNDP Sri Lanka is proud to be one of the first countries in the Asia-Pacific region to receive the honour of a Gold seal for its commitment to Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment. And we are determined to maintain the Gold Status in the years to come.

This requires a multi-dimensional approach that encompasses legal reforms, economic empowerment, access to education and healthcare, and the promotion of women’s leadership and participation in decision-making processes, to name a few. And all the work featured here, and other past, ongoing and future initiatives would not have been possible without support from many of our partners in this room, including the Government of Sri Lanka, civil society organizations, local government partners and development partners.

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Related Topics:Azusa Kubota Featured UNDP Resident Representative in Sri Lanka

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Bambalapitiya Railway Station renovated under the “Dream Destination” project opened to the public

Published

5 hours ago

2026/09/11

Priyan

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that Sri Lanka is now creating a common dream as a nation and that the Government’s objective is to make public transport the convenient choice for the people. The Prime Minister made these remarks while participating in the ceremony held to open the renovated Bambalapitiya Railway Station under the “Dream Destination” project.

The renovated Bambalapitiya Railway Station was opened to the public on 10 September under the “Dream Destination” project, jointly implemented by the Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development and the Sri Lanka Railways Department in line with the Clean Sri Lanka national programme. Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated in the occasion.

The Prime Minister also inspected the renovated railway station, as well as the new pedestrian overpass providing access to the railway station, constructed by the Road Development Authority for which the Dawoodi Bohra community in Sri Lanka contributed Rs. 60 million.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister expressed her special appreciation to the Bohra community for taking the initiative to renovate and provide the people with improved facilities at the Bambalapitiya Railway Station, a busy and well-known location in the Colombo District.

She stated that the renovation of public spaces and the provision of improved facilities have contributed to generating greater interest and a more positive perception of public transport among the people.

The Prime Minister also expressed her appreciation to the Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development, the Deputy Ministers and the staff for their contribution towards improving public transport services and attracting greater public interest towards these services.

The development of a country is not determined by the number of private vehicles it has. It is determined by the manner in which people use public transport. The Government’s objective is to improve the public transport service, which has disappointed the people for many years, and create a situation where people feel that public transport is more convenient and safer than using a private vehicle. The Government’s commitment to public transport is clearly demonstrated by the increased allocation of funds for the sector. The ’Dream Destination’ programme is another significant initiative under this effort, bringing together State institutions and the private sector to contribute to national development,” the Prime Minister stated.

“A country does not belong only to the Government. A country is the home for everyone who lives in it. It is the responsibility of all of us to contribute to that home through our knowledge, labour or resources. For a long time, we did not have a common dream as a country. Today, we feel that such a dream is beginning to emerge.

“We have a collective dream. The journey towards that dream is the collective journey we have begun together to build our country, which is our common home.

“What we witness here today is the active participation of our people, our diverse communities and the private sector in this journey. Such collective participation is essential to moving a country forward. Therefore, we deeply appreciate this contribution.

“The Bohra community reminds us today of the importance of this collective spirit. We have now embarked on a collective journey. We share a common dream of what our country should be, what the future of our country should look like and what kind of experience life in our country should offer. The Clean Sri Lanka national programme further strengthens these objectives,” the Prime Minister further stated.

Addressing the gathering, Deputy Minister of Urban Development Eranga Gunasekara stated that increased funding would be allocated to the Sri Lanka Railways Department for development activities next year. He noted that public transport and railway services had not previously received sufficient attention from the Government, but that this would change moving forward.

“Our transport services are progressing step by step, and the railway system is a key component of this development. Accordingly, on the instructions of the President, we will commence the electric railway system, which has long been a dream for our country, next year. We expect to introduce electric railway services from Maradana to Makumbura, from Maradana to Panadura and from Maradana to Ragama. We will also commence work to extend the Kelani Valley railway line from Avissawella to Ratnapura.

He also appreciated the contribution made by private institutions towards the “Dream Destination” project without seeking any promotional benefits in return.

Speaking on behalf of the Dawoodi Bohra community, Khuzaimah Jefferjee stated that the Dawoodi Bohra community, which has been part of Sri Lanka’s social, cultural and economic landscape for more than 150 years, believes that being a citizen of the country means more than simply living in the country. It means contributing to the country, caring for it and leaving behind a better country for future generations.

He said that, as part of this responsibility, the community had taken steps to renovate, modernise and beautify the Bambalapitiya Railway Station. He added that the community hopes these efforts will make the daily journeys of passengers a cleaner, safer, more convenient and dignified experience.

The occasion was attended by the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka Dr. Rizvie Sally, Deputy Minister of Religious and Cultural Affairs Muneer Mulaffer, Mayor of the Colombo Municipal Council Vraie Cally Balthazar, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri, General Manager of Sri Lanka Railways Padmapriya, Janab Amil Saheb Ibrahim and representatives of the Dawoodi Bohra community, officials of the Clean Sri Lanka programme and several others.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]

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Steps being taken to reduce paper usage in parliament and the public sector through digitalisation – PM

Published

5 hours ago

2026/09/11

Priyan

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that steps are being taken to reduce the use of paper in Parliament and the public sector through digitalisation.

The Prime Minister made these remarks in Parliament on Thursday (10 September) in response to a question raised regarding digitalisation and the use of paper.

The Prime Minister further stated:

“The total expenditure incurred in 2023, 2024 and 2025 for the provision of Hansard reports, Order Books, Agendas and other parliamentary printed materials provided to Members of Parliament and Ministers for use within the Chamber is Rs. 45.3 million in 2023, Rs. 58.7 million in 2024 and Rs. 73.1 million in 2025.

All these printed materials have been produced based on requests made by Parliament. At the same time, a programme is currently being developed to reduce the use of paper.

In accordance with a request made by the Secretary to the Treasury to the Secretary-General of Parliament, the Committee on Parliamentary Business considered the possibility of submitting reports to Parliament solely in digital format in the future. It was decided to conduct a survey to ascertain the preference of each Member of Parliament. Based on the results of the survey, arrangements will be made to provide relevant documents digitally to Members who prefer digital copies, while printed copies will be provided to those who prefer printed versions.

Following the completion of this survey, arrangements will be made to implement the programme on a date to be determined by the Committee on Parliamentary Business.

Similarly, all ministries and government institutions are currently taking steps towards digitalisation while reducing their use of paper. However, this process will take some time. In this manner, particularly the exchange of files and many other such processes can be facilitated through digital systems in the future.

For example, in the Ministry of Education, applications for leave submitted by university lecturers for overseas travel were previously submitted to the Ministry in printed form. The entire process has now been digitalised. The Ministry, through the University Grants Commission, provides approval for such leave applications through a digital process. Ministries across the government are taking similar measures. We believe that once digital systems are fully established, we will be able to significantly reduce the use of paper.

Responding to a question regarding measures to reduce the weight of schoolchildren’s bags, the Prime Minister stated:

The weight of students’ books will be reduced through the activity-based learning process introduced under the new education reforms. Since the books will be kept in the classroom, students will no longer need to carry them back and forth. They will only need to take the books home at the end of the term after completing their work.

From 2027, a module-based learning process will be introduced for Grade 6. Modules will not consist of large textbooks; instead, students will be provided with modules relevant to each subject for the particular term. Therefore, this system will significantly reduce the weight of schoolchildren’s bags.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]

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INS Udaygiri departs Colombo concluding formal visit

Published

7 hours ago

2026/09/11

Priyan

The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Udaygiri departed the Port of Colombo today, 11 September 2026, following the successful completion of a four day official visit.

On her departure, the Sri Lanka Navy bade farewell to the ship in accordance with time-honoured naval traditions.

During the visit, naval personnel from both navies engaged in joint initiatives to strengthen bilateral ties. These included a friendly volleyball match, a beach cleanup along the Galle Face
promenade, and a training exercise on Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) conducted by the Sri Lanka Navy Special Boat Squadron (SBS).

As part of the visit, the Indian Navy handed over a consignment of spares and supplies to the Sri Lanka Navy. Visiting crew members also toured key tourist attractions in and around Colombo.

Official interactions of this nature aim to enhance cooperation and knowledge-sharing between the two maritime forces, supporting joint responses to evolving regional maritime challenges.