Women’s Quota -Signature Campaign Kandy, Jul 01
Our first public signature campaign was launched in Kandy with Shanthini Konegahage , Central provincial councilor and her Swa Shakthi women’s group doing a superb job. The campaign started promptly as planned at 11A at George E De Silva Park. From Central Province, Chithra Manthilke, another councillor as well as the Governor Tikiri Kobbekaduwa dropped by to show their support. Out of town visitors included Padmini Weerasinghe, Chairman Embilipitiya PS, Champika, Member, Niyagama PS and Sampath Perera, member Beruwela UC. Sujata Gamage, Sunethra Siriwardena, and Sanchala Arangalage joined from the campaign’s management team.
We collected 2300 signatures, and more importantly, thousands of peopel were made aware of the sad state of women’s f representation with only 1.8% of local goverment members being women.
The signature campaign supports the proposed local govenrment elections amendment bill wants a clause added therein to ensure that at least 25% of the candidates are women. The proposed bill is a mix of the old selection of members for each ward in a local govenrment unit on a first past the post basis, and the selection of members for the local gvoenrment unit as a whole on a proportional representation basis. While the reintroduction of smalle wards as the electing unit makes it easier for women to canvass, but first they need to get the nominations from their respective parties.
Good start ladies; Congratulations! Will be with you next time.
Shanthini and everyone, great effort. Are you planning to extend the signature campaign to other parts of the island??? It will be really good if this is possible. You can try to see if this can be linked with other women’s groups and networks as well – e.g. The Sri Lanka Women’s NGO Forum, Mothers and Daughters of Lanka and so on.
We should also keep an eye open for when the reforms get discussed in Parliament again. But before that, since the LG reforms must first be agreed upon by the Provincial Councils, we may have to work with PC members. Can we share some thoughts on this???
Also, we probably need to keep pushing for increased women’s representation and a quota at all levels, provincial and national included. If the media is correct, then we may have to get ready for general elections as well, no???
A professional women’s group headed by Attorney Sumana Ariyadasa has learned from the ministry for local government that all PCs except the Eastern PC has approved the proposed bill. A special envoy from the President’s office is holding discussions with the Eastern PC.
Yes, we need to get together and strategize including the locations for other signature campaigns. The lankswomen.net is only a mechanism to keep our collective eyes on this one issue of women’s representation in politics. Will be sending out emails for all including W&M and MDL and women political leaders for a strategy meeting.