A Call for Inclusive Representation in National Rebuilding
Photo courtesy of The Guardian
Can you imagine a national committee being set up to help rebuild Sri Lanka but every single member appointed to it is a man?
On December 1, the cabinet granted approval to establish a Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund following the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, one of the worst climate disasters Sri Lanka has faced in decades. According to News.lk, the government’s official news portal, the fund is to be administered by a management committee that will be responsible for assessing the needs across the country, establishing priorities and allocating funds to recovery efforts across the country. While the committee comprises of both public and private sector individuals, the astonishing but not surprising demographic of this committee is that it is all men!
This is not the first time that Sri Lanka has responded to crisis management with a leadership that reflects an underrepresented demographic. In fact, it mirrors a long history of deeply unequal power structures that have been embedded in decision making spaces and structures that have been deliberately set up to exclude marginalised communities, especially women. An example of this is after the 2004 tsunami in early 2005 when three task forces were established. One notably similar to Rebuilding Sri Lanka was the Presidential Task Force for Rebuilding the Nation (TAFREN). While there is limited insight into key members, a report by the Tsunami Evaluation Coalition established a list of the eight members, of which only one of them was a woman. Although the underrepresentation of women was not explicitly stated as the critical reason, the report indicated that while the vulnerability of women was acknowledged, gender sensitive programming was inadequate, resulting in the adoption of gender-neutral or gender-blind policies for national programming on response and recovery. It is important to highlight that TAFREN faced a similar backlash to this committee and was called out for having dominant private sector involvement and lack of critical representation from diverse actors such as NGOs, climate scientists and directly affected public sector entities.
We can see that the Rebuilding Sri Lanka committee directly fits into this historical pattern. In the event of national emergencies or disasters, a country that falls back onto familiar patterns without addressing critical gaps and not adequately reflecting the real impact and lived realities of those most affected will not achieve effective recovery or rehabilitation.
This is especially important to speak about now because the current administration that positioned itself as a champion of women’s rights also made promises to eliminate old patterns and foster an environment of political change that directly addresses the needs of the people through inclusive and equitable representation. However, at the most tumultuous period, we’re seeing that high stakes decisions are made by not enacting the promises but simply falling back onto old patterns. This is not only disappointing but also dangerous and could result in ineffective disbursement of funds.
Why is representation important? Many people have asked the question if it really matters if an all- male committee is appointed if we just get the job done. Not only is this rhetoric one sided but it completely eliminates the needs of more than half the population. We have understood through many studies that climate crises affect everyone differently. The Women and Media Collective in their recent call to action for women’s representation in disaster decision making has emphasised that evidence from Sri Lanka and around the world has proven that climate disasters disproportionately affect women and girls. Not only do they face higher mortality risks among other things, women and girls’ right to access essential goods such as reproductive health and menstrual hygiene are severely disrupted.
However, it is not just women who need to be represented and an intersectional approach is required. The effect of climate disasters can also greatly vary depending on people’s socio-economic class, ethnicity, location and ability. People living with disabilities are faced with great challenges in accessing immediate relief, medical care and emergency resources that can impact their recovery. Queer communities are also disproportionately affected because of reduced access to safe healthcare, which could be impacted by the potential discrimination that they face within the medical system. Communities in historically marginalised regions whose vulnerabilities are exacerbated through decades of unequal development and limited infrastructure experience far deeper impacts.
Therefore, can we really say that an all-male committee comprising of those from affluent private sector and contestable public sector backgrounds based out of Colombo truly reflect the experiences of those who are greatly affected by this disaster? Can this all-male committee fully grasp the complexity in addressing adequate needs for equitable recovery?
Representation should not be dismissed as symbolic or tokenistic; it influences priorities, funding decisions and the potential policies that are established by national committees such as this one. When a national committee at the leadership level excludes major demographics of the population, the approaches taken by them risk being one sided, underrepresented and disconnected from the lived realities of many Sri Lankans.
If we are truly talking about rebuilding Sri Lanka, it requires more than just a one sided approach. It will require rebuilding trust in public institutions and that trust can only be developed if people see themselves reflected in decision making roles. Right now, women across the country are at the forefront of organising campaigns, coordinating national relief efforts and ensuring that the most affected areas are getting the necessary relief they need. When women are capable and highly efficient in participating in active recovery and rebuilding efforts on ground, why are they not empowered to make key decisions in how major funds get disbursed to the most affected areas and communities?
An inclusive and well represented committee with women, people from disabled, communities, queer communities and ethnic minority groups from the most marginalised areas will bring in broader perspectives and lived experiences to the table. Moreover, it will spark public confidence, improve the efficacy of responsiveness to needs on the ground and create necessary solutions rather than those built off assumptions. Most importantly, it would show that the administration is committed to a fairer, more accountable model of governance.
If the goal is to create a country that is more resilient, more equitable and more prepared for the next crisis, then inclusivity and representation of those who are more likely to be disproportionately affected must be included from inception of the rebuilding process. We cannot make impactful and transformative change if we are going to keep relying on one demographic to make decisions on behalf of everyone.
Sri Lanka is at a pivotal moment right now and the administration has a clear opportunity to address the direct needs of the people. It should set precedent on how future decisions can be taken not just in moments of natural disasters but under any unforeseen circumstances that have the potential of hindering sustainable development and shaping our history.
Sri Lanka deserves a rebuilding process that reflects the people who live through its realities every day. This means ensuring that any form of leadership and decision makers reflect diverse needs, equitable representation and are rooted in those lived experiences. It is time for the government to do as it promised and honour its commitments to inclusive governance and it’s time that we as citizens continue to push back and demand equitable representation. We cannot build a better future for our country if we keep excluding proportions of the population that are always excluded from these processes and limited from decision making roles. To rebuild Sri Lanka in a stronger, resilient and fairer manner, we must continue to demand a rebuilding process where all voices are present, heard and empowered to shape the country’s future.
