{"id":9213,"date":"2018-01-30T09:40:21","date_gmt":"2018-01-30T09:40:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/womenandmedia.org\/?p=9213"},"modified":"2018-01-30T09:40:21","modified_gmt":"2018-01-30T09:40:21","slug":"female-politicos-get-chance-to-prove-their-worth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/womenandmedia.org\/ta\/female-politicos-get-chance-to-prove-their-worth\/","title":{"rendered":"Female politicos get chance to prove their worth"},"content":{"rendered":"

Source: Sunday Times<\/a><\/p>\n

Sri Lankan women contesting the local elections in large numbers amid obstructions and challenges this year will take a step towards greater political empowerment, while also being seen to be tools of powerful political backers rather than those committed to serving the people.<\/p>\n

Some civic groups believe candidates also have a responsibility to help improve the political culture in the country.<\/p>\n

Women\u2019s rights groups such as the Women and Media Collective, believe that the entry of more women will create less room for corruption.<\/p>\n

\u201cUntil now there was only two percent female representation and that was about 92 women in a total of approximately 4,000-member local government system. The new electoral system not only increases the number of candidates to about 8,000 but boost female representation to about 2,200,\u201d said co-founder Kumudini Samuel.<\/p>\n

Community governance will give priority to grassroots issues, concerns such as garbage disposal, street lighting, maternal and child care centres, health and community clinics, employment of women and youth, improving of recreational spaces and parks, and community markets.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe believe the culture of local politics and governance can be changed for the better. Women will be conscientious in dealing with local issues they are familiar with and women are also reputed to be less corrupt. A fresh complement of local councillors, both men and women will help to curb corruption at the level of local government,\u201d Samuel said.<\/p>\n

Political parties have placed their female candidates in wards where a powerful, often male, candidate is contesting from another political party and that can lead to distorted election results, Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon of the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections said.<\/p>\n

\u201cFemale candidates must contest in at least 10 percent of the wards in a particular electorate and political parties often put their female candidates against very strong male candidates. In most cases women candidates are competing against former chairmen of a local council, or an extremely popular figure,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He said the situation will also strengthen the perception that women can\u2019t successfully contest against male candidates.<\/p>\n

Rohana Hettiarachchi from the People\u2019s Action For Free and Fair Elections, said while they believe corruption will be reduced by half with the increase in female representation, this election raises doubts whether capable and strong women candidates are selected by seat organizers.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany female professionals and community leaders are watching the election,\u2019\u2019 he said, adding that future candidates at elections will make their decisions depending on the level of character assassination and harassment they witness. \u201cThe females appointed this time have a huge task in improving the political culture and raising the quality of local governments,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

He said the NGO has received 14 complaints, most of them about harassment and attacks on offices.<\/p>\n

Deputy Election Commissioner Mr M M Mohommed said that the Election Commission has received complaints from female and male candidates. However, character assassination via social media, abusive phone calls and use of abusive language against a candidate are main categories under which female candidates have filed complaints.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe receive such complaints on a daily basis,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

He said the police will issue warnings at first and if the abuse and harassment continues, then action will be filed in court.<\/p>\n

Shreen Abdul Saroor, the founder member of Women\u2019s Action Network, told the Sunday Times, that a woman candidate in Mullaitivu had been abducted and there had been many threatening telephone calls and harassment reported in the Vanni.<\/p>\n

But, Ms Saroor said women do not complain for fear of being threatened or harassed. She also said many women candidates often say that the police do not take such matters seriously.<\/p>\n

\u201cDue to the culture of impunity, women find it difficult to differentiate normal violence from election specific gender-based violence. Because of this they fear opening up about the violence experienced by them during such times,\u2019\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n

Ms Saroor said that the quota at the local authority level was a milestone for the women\u2019s movement in Sri Lanka. About 1,900 women will administer their villages and towns, compared with less than 100 women politicians in local authorities in the past.<\/p>\n

A former banker, Ms Bogini Sigera entered politics in 2015. She believes that politics is a rough ground to tread and yet a woman can be her own shield of protection against violence.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is discrimination and the insecurity of being judged. But the biggest obstacle for a woman candidate is to manage both her family and profession,\u2019\u2019 Ms Sigera said.<\/p>\n

Nizam Kariapper, the secretary of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, said: \u201cWomen candidates have been keen to seek nominations and the party has been successful in fulfilling the quota by introducing enough female representatives.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

Secretary of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, Sagara Kariyawasam, said women are highly respected and by encouraging women to engage in politics, a favourable trend is created.<\/p>\n

Minister of Labour, Trade Union Relations and Sabaragamuwa Development, John Seneviratna, said women make up the majority in the country\u2019s population as a result of which the UPFA endorses the view that women should engage in politics at every level.<\/p>\n

\u201cInvariably, all national problems affect women, therefore they must be given an opportunity to play a pivotal role in socio-economic matters,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

Minister of Sustainable Development and Wildlife, Gamini Jayawickrama Perera, said that the United National Party has given women the power to take decisions in politics.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt present, women are very powerful. They are engaged in the service sector and public administration. However, their engagement in politics is comparatively lower than in the other sectors,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
All politics becomes local for some contestants<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dr Soma Ratnayake, an indigenous medicine practitioner from Siyambalanduwa Pradeshiya Sabha in Moneragala district, hopes to serve what she describes as the poorest Pradeshiya Sabha division in the country by contesting for the leftist People\u2019s Liberation Front.<\/p>\n
\"\"<\/p>\n

Dr Soma Ratnayake<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

She said present provincial councillors and Pradeshiya Sabha members enrich themselves rather than serving the public.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are still the poorest area because most of the funds received are misused and state resources wasted,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

If elected, she plans to address issues faced by farmers and promote local medicine and herbs.<\/p>\n

Pushpa Jayasekara, a served as a postmaster in Kegalle. When she retired four months ago, she was encouraged to enter politics to address issues in her area, Mahapallegama, Dedigama in Warakapola.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor years, complaints have been ignored. There are families without drinking water, there are many unemployed women whose families are in poverty, there are issues with regard to line rooms,\u2019\u2019 she said, citing a few of the issues.<\/p>\n

Ms Jayasekara said she had support from women and men who are confident that their problems will be addressed.<\/p>\n

Photos and story by Moneragala Correspondent Sumanasiri Gunathilake<\/strong><\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Source: Sunday Times Sri Lankan women contesting the local elections in large numbers amid obstructions and challenges this year will take a step towards greater political empowerment, while also being seen to be tools of powerful political backers rather than those committed to serving the people. Some civic groups believe candidates also have a responsibility […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9214,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9213","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nFemale politicos get chance to prove their worth - Women & Media Collective<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/womenandmedia.org\/si\/female-politicos-get-chance-to-prove-their-worth\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Female politicos get chance to prove their worth - Women & Media Collective\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Source: Sunday Times Sri Lankan women contesting the local elections in large numbers amid obstructions and challenges this year will take a step towards greater political empowerment, while also being seen to be tools of powerful political backers rather than those committed to serving the people. 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