Towards ensuring a 30% increase

Petition initiated by Women and Media Collective to Prime Minster Ranil Wickremesinghe on political representation of women in Local Government:

Dear Prime Minister,

We, the undersigned welcome the new UNFGG Government elected to Parliament on August 17, 2015 and its commitment to continue Sri Lanka's democratic political transformation. We wish your government all success in this endeavour.

We understand that your government has now appointed a Sub-Committee to deliberate on the upcoming Local Government elections. We hope that the Sub Committee can include measures to redress the under representation of women in Local Government and wish to place before it our recommendations. We kindly request you to consider the proposals we make below and hope that these proposals can be forwarded to the Sub Committee.

Our recommendations

Nominations to contest First-Past-the-Post seats

Make legally binding provisions in the Local Authorities Elections (Amendment) Act. No.22 of 2012 to ensure a mandatory 30% nominations are given to women so that they have the opportunity to contest for Local Authorities or

Consider increasing the number of wards to ensure that women can be nominated to contest for 30% of available seats.

Proportional Representation prior to the amendment of the Local Authorities Elections (Amendment) Act, No.22 of 2012. In the event a return to the previous system of elections for Local Authorities is considered, make a legally binding provision to ensure that women receive 30% of nominations to contest all available seats.

Rationale

Women in Sri Lanka have had the right to vote from as early as 1931, but very little opportunity to become the people's elected political representatives-either in Parliament or in Provincial or Local Government. Therefore we welcome this government's commitment to a 30% quota to ensure women's representation at local government. Women's representation at Local Government is a first step towards entry into representative politics.

Unfortunately Sri Lanka's ranking in terms of female representation at Local Government is critically low and is less than 2%. All countries in South Asia have better representation of women numbers than Sri Lanka despite Sri Lanka's far superior social and quality of life indictors. This is due to the implementation of affirmative action measures.

Key policy decisions are made and implemented in critical areas related to everyday life at the level of Local Government - these include basic needs such as water, sanitation, health and economic concerns such as access roads, markets, and security concerns such as street lighting.

The lack of women in Local Government authorities means there is no women's perspective or consultation possible in decisions that are made which affect their everyday life and for women, there are grave consequences to the low representation of women in politics.

Women's interests and concerns are barely heard and exert little influence at any level of government.

Additionally, the progress that Sri Lanka has made in women's participation in professional fields, be it in business, the legal profession including the judiciary, and the state administration is not reflected in politics.

Local and national government does not adequately reflect prevailing socio economic realities and the country is losing out on the positive contribution to governance that women can make.

President Maithripala Sirisena echoed this concern in his 100-day Work Programme, proposing that legislation would be introduced to ensure at least 25% women's representation in Provincial Councils and Local Government.

We are pleased that cabinet has approved a 30% quota for women's representation at the level of Local Government.

We wish to point out that women have received only between 6 to 10 per cent nominations to-date and an increase in nominations at least ensuring women have a reasonable opportunity to contest at the next Local Government elections become critical. It is a need to ensure both democracy as well as good governance. We hope that all Members of Parliament will support the required legislative changes to make at a reality at the forthcoming Local Government elections.