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Woman researcher sees persistent underrepresentation of women in politics despite increased representation in Parliament

Published

2 years ago

2025/04/2

Dr. Chulani Kodikara delivering the opening remarks at a recent half-day event titled ‘Improving media engagement with women in politics in Sri Lanka’, aimed at improving media engagement with women in politics.

Dr. Chulani Kodikara, researcher at the Social Scientists’ Association and Co-Editor of Polity (SSA Magazine) says that even though representation of women in Parliament increased there is persistent underrepresentation of women in politics.

Representation of women in formal political institutions remains low when compared with other countries in South Asia, Dr. Kodikara said delivering the opening remarks at a recent half-day event titled ‘Improving media engagement with women in politics in Sri Lanka’, aimed at improving media engagement with women in politics.

The event was jointly organised by the South Asian Women in Media – Sri Lanka (SAWM-SL), in collaboration with the Free Media Movement (FMM), Sri Lanka Working Journalists’ Association (SLWJA), The Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka (TEGSL), and the Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) in Colombo.

“Given that representation of women in Parliament has stagnated at around 5% (or more) for more than 40 years, and that the NPP was able to increase representation in Parliament, without any kind of quota or reservation, is really an achievement that we need to recognise and applaud. We have to also celebrate that for the first time in our history two women from the Malaiyaha Tamil community were elected to Parliament in 2024.”

Juxtapose this increase in women’s representation in Parliament to the dramatic increase in women’s representation in local government from 2% to 25% following the implementation of a quota for women introduced in 2016, she said it was achieved after a very long struggle waged not by party women, but by women’s organisations in Sri Lanka.

However, even as these gains are celebrated, she said much more needs to be done in terms of increasing the numerical representation of women in politics, noting that even though the number of women in Parliament has increased substantially, women continue to be underrepresented in the Cabinet.

She also noted that women continue to be underrepresented in leadership positions within party structures across all mainstream political parties in Sri Lanka.

Emphasising the media’s role in shaping narratives around women in politics, she said research indicates that female politicians receive less media coverage and are often portrayed in gendered, sexualised, or stereotyped terms. She also noted that the media tends to reinforce traditional gender norms, positioning women within the domestic sphere while aligning men with political leadership.

“The media are also less open to the concerns and achievements of women politicians than to those of their male counterparts,” she said, adding that the rise of social media has exacerbated harassment and hate speech against women politicians, posing a significant barrier to their participation in public life.

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Geneva takes up Sallay’s case and govt. ignores opportunity to answer accusations

Published

11 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

Suresh Sallay

The government has chosen not to respond to questions raised by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) regarding the detention of retired Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay in connection with the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested the ex-official in late February this year. The Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers have jointly raised the issue on 20 July, 2026.

Drawing attention of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to what they called alleged arbitrary detention of Sallay, former Director General of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and former Director of Military Intelligence (DMI), under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), as well as allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment while in custody, resulting in the grave deterioration of his health, and imminent risks of retaliation through further torture and ill-treatment resulting in irreparable harm, should he be released from hospital and returned to custody, the UN sought the government explanation with a 60-day period.

The UN has stated: “This communication, and any response received from your Excellency’s Government, will be made public via the communications reporting website at the 60 days mark. Should your Excellency’s Government respond within 60 days, both the communication and the response, may be published before the 60 days mark. The communications and responses

will also be made available in the subsequent periodic report to be presented to the Human Rights Council.”

In the absence of the government’s response, the UN posted the letter, dated 20 July, 2026, addressed to President Dissanayake. The full letter can be accessed https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=31125

News

Section of wartime KKS High Security Zone vacated to facilitate economic development in the area

Published

11 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

The Army, last week, vacated an area, within the wartime high security zone in the Jaffna peninsula. The Defence Ministry said that an extent of 187.56 acres of land, belonging to the Cement Corporation in Kankesanthurai, Jaffna, has been released by the military. The released land, located in Grama Niladhari Division J/233, Kankesanthurai West, within the Valikamam North (Tellippalai) Divisional Secretariat Division, had been utilised by the Sri Lanka Army since the middle of 1997.

The release of the 187.56-acre extent forms part of the initiative to make State land available for the proposed investment zone in Kankesanthurai, thereby facilitating future investment and economic development in the area.

News

Lawyer lodges complaint against Govt. Printer, Media Ministry Secy.

Published

11 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

A complaint has been lodged with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau against the Government Printer and the Secretary to the Ministry of Media regarding the online release of falsified documents bearing a forged Speaker’s certificate.

Attorney-at-Law Aruna Laksiri has lodged a complaint with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau requesting legal action against the Government Printer of the Department of Government Printing (No. 118, Dr. Danister de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 08), Prasanna Jayaratne, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media (Asidisi Medura, 163, Kirulapone Mawatha, Polhengoda, Colombo 05), Dr. Anil Jasinghe.

The complaint alleges the commission of offences by forging and uploading falsified documents online using a forged Speaker’s certification, failure to perform statutory duties, and misappropriation of public property.

The complaint states that a copy of the English translation of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was downloaded and printed from the official website of the Government Printing Department (www.documents.gov.lk), which operates under the Ministry of Mass Media. On its outer cover and on page 1, the text “certified on 25th of September, 2026” is inscribed inside brackets.

The complaint pointed out that the Speaker has certified an English translation. Under Articles 23, 79, 83, and 80 of the Constitution, Parliament enacts laws and the Speaker certifies bills strictly in the Sinhala and Tamil languages; under the Constitution, therefore the Speaker cannot apply such certification to an English translation.