Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus Discusses Expanding Female Representation and UNDP Support for Parliamentary Development
A recent meeting of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus focused on strengthening female political representation and advancing key initiatives within the Sri Lankan Parliament. Discussions included engaging with recognized political parties and party secretaries from Parliament, Provincial Councils (PCs), and Local Government (LG) bodies to advocate for increased nomination of women representatives to PCs and local authorities.
The Caucus also addressed the re-establishment of the Parliamentary Caucus for Children for the Tenth Parliament and reviewed progress on establishing a daycare centre within the Parliament premises to support working parents.
Azusa Kubota, the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka, participated in the meeting and emphasized UNDP’s readiness to support the implementation of the Parliamentary Development Action Plan 2024–2027. She reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to empowering women in politics and supporting inclusive governance initiatives.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Co-Chairpersons Chamindranee Kiriella (Attorney-at-Law) and Samanmali Gunasingha, along with Deputy Committee Chairperson Hemali Weerasekara. Members of Parliament present included Dr. Kaushalya Ariyarathne, Nilanthi Kottahachchi (Attorney-at-Law), Chathuri Gangani, Nilusha Lakmali Gamage, Thushari Jayasingha (Attorney-at-Law), Anushka Thilakarathne (Attorney-at-Law), and Ambika Samivel.
