International Women’s Day – 2023

Written by: Isuri Cooray LLB (Hons.)

Each year the world as a collective celebrates the International Women’s Day on the 8th of March. For the year 2023 the UN Women and the UN is celebrating the day under the theme DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality. With the use of the technology and the internet continues to dominate the development across the globe, it is important that the persistent gender gap in the digital access is not acting as a barrier to allow women, who had always been at the forefront of technological advancement, be left behind. It is also important to shed a light on an increasing threat women have to face, as the gender-based violence has taken a new approach due to the ever expanding access to varied online forums which cultivates anti-women rhetoric.?

In Sri Lanka, the rights of women are protected through the Constitution as well as the ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Regardless of the number of legal instruments which exist to provide protection, the ground reality is that women are facing constant violations. The current economic crisis has a direct negative impact on women and girl child. Mothers are not able to feed their children, buy them books for schooling, and girls are staying at home without going to schools because their parents cannot afford to feed them, clothe them, and buy necessities for school.?

While the world as a collective is moving forward to empower women, a Sri Lankan woman spends her day thinking how to provide for herself and her family. Mother is the most important family member in the Sri Lankan household because of the sacrifices she makes for her children. In the 21st Century, a woman is not restricted to the role of a wife and a mother because the modern woman has the opportunities and resources to go beyond a restrictive traditional role of caregiver. However, obtaining a valuable education from the young age is one of the most important aspects which contribute to breaking the shackles which restrict women to give unpaid care to her family. When young girls cannot go to school to enable them to achieve the full potential of their capabilities and capacities, they are going to be restricted to their roles which have been imposed upon them by the society.?

Therefore, it is important that as a collective all of us Sri Lankans must come together as a community to ensure that the rights of women as well as girls are protected to ensure that the young girls are able to achieve the highest level of advancements in their life. On this International Women’s Day, we must ensure that the necessary steps are taken and pathways are laid down for today’s young girls to become successful women in the future.?

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