International Women’s Day falls tomorrow

by Geewananda Gunawardana,Ph.D.

It was fifty years ago in 1975 that the United Nations designated March 8th as International Women’s Day to promote women’s rights and world peace. Its origins lie in early twentieth-century suffrage and labour movements. Ironically, at the current pace, achieving all its goals could take another 150 years. Inequality for half the population is not only a societal failure but also a significant barrier to progress, and Sri Lanka cannot afford to wait for that long.

Sri Lanka remains an oddity among similar economies in this respect. It elected the first female head of state in the world. With a high human development index, over 92% literacy for both genders, and 60% of university students being women, Sri Lanka still ranks poorly on global Gender Inequality Indices. According to a UN report, only 35% of the females participate in the workforce compared to 72% of the men. Women constitute 52% of Sri Lanka’s population, but female representation in parliament is only 9.8%. What is worst is that 90% of Sri Lankan women and girls have faced sexual harassment at least once in their lifetime, a blemish to our image not only as a top tourist destination but also as the guardians of a major religion teaching equality and equanimity. The Global Gender Gap Index 2024 ranks Sri Lanka at 122 among 146 countries. What prevents the country from escaping this embarrassing position and utilising its full human potential for its development?

Sri Lankan culture has been a patriarchy. However, as a primarily an agrarian society, women had an equal participation in the labour force in the past. The few historical records available does not give the impression that Sri Lankan women were forced to live a subservient life (Knox, 1681). It is possible that the adoption of Victorian ‘values’ that demeaned women, during colonial rule may have contributed to transforming the society to some extent. However, it is reasonable to assume that we have overcome most such influences, perhaps except for the aspect that some have described as “the monstrosity of the male gaze.” It is accepted that a society cannot be shaped by rules and regulations alone. We must acknowledge that while existing rules and regulations are sufficient to safeguard gender equality, it is society’s inability to ensure their implementation that has hampered our progress in this respect. Since the steps taken last September ensure safeguarding and strengthening the rules, it remains for society to fulfill its share of responsibility. It is this shortcoming that makes Sri Lanka an oddity among its peers.

The lack of translation of gender equality in education into the job market is concerning, as it indicates a suboptimal utilisation of the talents of half the population and inefficient use of educational resources. Several factors contribute to this situation: prolonged interruptions and delays in education over the years have led to an older student population compared to previous generations. As a result, job market entry and childbearing age overlap, raising concerns for job seekers and employers, especially for the job seeker and her family due to cultural norms. The lack of childcare facilities further delays their entry into the job market. While it is not possible to put a monetary value to this enormously important function of childbearing, caring, and home keeping, its contribution to the GDP goes unnoticed and unappreciated. The unaccounted contributions to GDP are estimated at 2.4% for males and 10.3% for females, based on the lowest wage rate. At the higher wage rate, they are 8.1% and 33.8%, respectively (Gunewardena, 2017).

In previous generations, when the typical graduation age was around 21-22 years, it was common to gain several years of job experience before starting a family and to continue working after maternity leave. Taking measures to reduce interruptions to education and making childcare affordable are two ways to encourage the skilled female population to remain in the workforce. In addition, there should be ways to recognize the silent contributions to the economy and bearing a higher burden in bringing up the next generation by women. Women constitute 40% of the migrant workforce, 78% of the garment workers, and 65% of the tea estate workers, which together contribute about 20% of the GDP in addition to the unaccounted figures mentioned earlier. Does the society appreciate this enormous contribution to country’s economy by women?

Sadly, according to available data, the answer is no. It is common knowledge that sexual harassment of girls and women both in public transport systems and in the workplace is prevalent, even though only limited data are available for the latter case. The prevalence of the issue has also caused women’s reluctance to join the workforce. A 2016 International Labour Organization report states that three-fifths of unemployed women would be willing to work if they were assured that they would not be subject to sexual harassment in the workplace. Underlying causes of this behaviour towards women have been identified as complex, but one thing is clear: it is a learned behavior. That means society can prevent the younger generations from turning into monsters if it has the will irrespective of the historical circumstances. That is where education and upbringing can be effective. Statistics are hard to come by, but, ironically, the consensus is that those who should be role models happen to be the usual offenders. What is more, the barbaric practice of ragging in higher education institutions, also contributes to the male dominant attitude. Unfortunately, the erosion of law and order in general over the decades has rendered seeking legal protection meaningless. In fact, the procedures are such that pursuing legal action could invite more trouble, and as a result both victims as well as witnesses tend to avoid that option.

Poverty statistics also support the negative answer: women and children endure the most of economic hardships; according to reports, 42.2% of children under age 5 are multidimensionally poor. Another study found that families from the two lowest income brackets spend 40% of their total income on alcohol (Jayatilaka, 2017). The Alcohol and Drugs Information Centre reports that Sri Lankans spend 690 million rupees daily on alcohol; that is excluding the illicit alcohol and drugs. On an annualised basis, this is about 40% of the country’s education budget, for comparison. The impact of alcoholism goes beyond poverty, that also contributes to physical violence and mental trauma, especially on women and girls. It is the same abusers of alcohol that make streets unsafe for girls and women especially at the end of the day on their way home from classes or work.

It is well established that human behaviour cannot be legalised without sacrificing freedom. That is where the religions and societal ethics can play a role. Unfortunately, misinterpretation of some religious texts has contributed to encourage the male dominant attitude. For example, some Buddhist clergy expect laity to follow the rules meant for monastics in relating to women and treat them as ‘repulsive.’ They overlook the fact that Buddha described how a husband should treat the wife in the Singalovada Sutta: ‘A husband should serve his wife as the western quarter in five ways: by treating her with honour, by not looking down on her, by not being unfaithful, by relinquishing authority to her, and by presenting her with adornments.’ There is no mention of domineering or superiority of any gender.

Lack of understanding the differences in biology is another contributing factor to this problem; not knowing the truth tends to revert us to animal instincts. It is estimated that 60% of the girls did not know about menstruation until the first period. No need to say that men have a distorted view of menstruation, which is often based on indirect or incomplete information. The biology of the two genders is different but being ignorant of such a basic function linked to the continuity of human race at this day and age is a travesty. Why does society consider the subject taboo? Does it understand the consequences of this ignorance? Why did the religious and community leaders oppose providing that information to our children? They talk about period poverty in high circles; they are mistaken, there is information poverty. It is time that society move into the 21st century and remove taboos and inuendo associated with this biological fact.

The key question is why women are not given an opportunity to voice their concerns. It is true that the country elected the first female head of state in the world. But after over a half a century, there are less than 10% female representatives in the parliament while 56% of the voting population is female. Unfortunately, until recently, Sri Lankan politics has been a male dominated, corrupt dynastic affair. As demonstrated by a recent incident, the assembly has yet to shed old habits completely. We have taken a small step forward, but that is not sufficient. As the Hon. Prime minister said, “Equal representation is necessary to bring feminist sensitivity to policy making.” Let us hope that society heeds that message at the next opportunity.

Gender inequality is not merely a women’s problem, it is a societal problem that transcends gender, race, religion, and political affiliations. Most relevant to the current situation is that it affects economic development; how can a nation progress when half of its population is not given an opportunity to contribute? It is not sufficient to dedicate a day, talk or write about it, and continue as before. Society must recognize inequality, provide equity, and ensure that justice prevails. Both human decency and the law ensure equal rights to work, travel, dignity, and legal protection for all. There is an enormous education gap, and it is the responsibility of adults, educators, religious leaders, and most importantly, all types of media to bridge that gap. As demonstrated last September, our society is an intelligent one, and they do not fail to act when needed. A significant issue in this regard is the insufficient awareness of the importance of treating women and girls equally, as well as the broader impact on society of failing to do so, not just on our mothers, sisters, and daughters.

We do not have to wait for another 150 years as the pundits predict, if we have the will, we can eliminate this curse within a generation or two. Educate the youngsters that we all are equal.