Sri Lanka: Call for anti- women minister of women's afairs and child development to resign

Minister with the first lady

Thursday, Decem er !", "#!$

STATEMENT CALLING FOR RESIGNATION, THE MINISTER OF WOMENS AFFAIRS AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT: MR. TISSA KARALLIYADDE Mr. Tissa Karalliyadde has on several occasions made extremely sexist remarks that are humiliating to Sri Lankan women in general, without any sense of responsibility for the cabinet office he holds as Minister of omen!s "ffairs and #hild $evelopment. %e has stated on several public platforms that women should not be appointed to responsible positions of public office because by nature they are unable to get on with each other and constantly fight and slander other women. " few days ago he stated that the idea of gender e&uality is a meaningless concept advocated only by some women from '() groups who have no connection with the vast ma*ority of rural women. %e added that these '() women have re*ected values of+pathivatha+,fidelity to husband- in their family life. This abusive and insulting remark about an identified group of women working on issues of concern to women, and implying sexual promiscuity, were made in a T. programme ,Sirasa /ress 0elease, 12 'ovember 3415- that received wide publicity. Minister Karalliyadde is clearly unaware that the oath of office he has taken as a cabinet minister requires him to respect and follow the norms and standards set by our Constitution and national laws, and international treaties and policies that bind the Sri Lankan State and government. e wish to remind him that "rticle 13 of our #onstitution incorporates a standard of gender e&uality and non6discrimination on the ground of a person!s sex. Sri Lanka, recognising its

contribution in improving the lives of women by giving e&ual access to health and education, and desiring further progress, became a State /arty to the #onvention on the 7limination of "ll 8orms of $iscrimination against omen ,#7$" - in 19:1. ;n 1995 it adopted a policy statement known as the omen!s #harter and which reinforces the #onvention standards on gender e&uality between men and women. hile the Sri Lankan government has binding obligations to implement the #onstitution, 'ational %uman 0ights "ction /lan ,'%0"/- and #7$" , it is also bound to implement the more recent Millennium $evelopment (oals ,M$(s-. These re&uire the government to implement and monitor development goals that will contribute to gender e&uality. These commitments are also central to the core #ommonwealth values that have been incorporated in the $eclaration of #%)(M. The /resident as current #hair of the #ommonwealth has a responsibility to ensure that these values on gender e&uality are upheld by his administration. Minister Karalliyadde in making these remarks seems also unaware of the gender equality programmes done by his own ministry to strengthen the capacity of the many community based women!s groups. "hey too have been working together with women!s #$%s across the country to carry forward an agenda of achieving gender equality so as to eliminate discrimination against women. e have in the past had several women cabinet ministers such as 0enuka %erath, the late Srimani "thulathmudali, "mara /iyaseeli 0athnayake, and Sumeda <ayasena who took their role and responsibility as holders of cabinet office seriously. They tried to work towards achieving these standards of gender e&uality and improve the lives of women and men. Many Sri Lankan men, including professionals and politicians have supported initiatives to achieve gender e&uality in our society. ;t is a shocking indication of the breakdown in values of holders of public office, that the first male minister of omen!s "ffairs can make public statements which undervalue Sri Lankan women, and abuse and seek to humiliate identified groups of women. The minister=s statements make it abundantly clear that he is unaware of his responsibilities, re*ects these values on gender e&uality in his personal and public life. We strongly urge the President to call for the immediate resignation of Minister Karalliyadde from the office he holds in the Ministry of Womens Affairs and Child Development and appoint a gender sensitive Minister. His gender insensitive statements and behavior indicate that he can no longer be permitted to function as head of a Ministry hose core purpose he undervalues and publicly denounces. Signatures; 167 Individuals: Prof. Savitri Goonesekere, Dr.Wijaya Jayathilaka Dr. Jehan Perera, Prof. Sitralega Maunaguru, Lalitha Disanayake, Former Secretary,

Ministry of Women, Dr. Nimalka Fernan o, !ttorney "at#La$, %umu ini Samuel, Dr. Se&ali %ottego a, Prof. Maithree Wickramasinghe, Dr. Far'ana (aniffa, Dr. (arini !marasuriya, Dr. Leonie Solomons, Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, Dr. Push&a )amlani, Dr. ). *heran, Dr. )amani Jayasun ere, !ttorney "at#La$, Dr. Selvi +hiruchan ran, Dr. ,agisha -unasekara, Dr. ,ivimarie ,. Me a$attege era, Dr. .ulfika /smail " *ana a, Dr. Shermal Wije$ar ene, Dr.Su0angi (erath, 1ritto Fernan o, 1u ha asa -ala&&atty, Poet2Journalist, !aranya )ajasingam, *armen Wickramagamage, 3niversity of Pera eniya, !0eetha # Social $orker, !hilan %a irgamar, !mal e *hickera, !meena (ussein, !n0eriya (anifa, Shamila Dalu$atte, !ttorney " at#La$, Shanthini %ongahage, Shara ha e Saram, Sharmini 1oyle, Sharni Jaya$ar ena, Sherine 4avier, Shiranee Dissanayake, Shreen !0 ul Saroor, Shreen Saroor, Shyamala -ome', Shyamala Sivagurunathan, !n re$ Samuel, !noma De !l$is ,!noma Jana ari, !nomaa )ajakaruna, !nu&ama )ana$ana, 3niversity of !0er een2Ne$man +heological Seminary,!nushaya *ollure, 1. -o$thaman, 1. Skanthakumar, 1u hima Pa masiri, 1uhary Mohame " (uman )ights !ctivist, *. De Silva, Journalist, ,*aryll +o'er, *ayathiri D., *han ra Jayaratna,*hamila +hushari, *hamin ry Sa&arama u, !ttorney#at#La$, *hulani %o ikara ,Damaris Wickremesekera, Dhamayanthi Mutukumarage, Dhammika e Silva # Journalist, )utharu$a Pa&er, Dharmasena Pathiraja, Dharmasiri 1an aranaike, Dilhara Pathirana, Dilrukshi (anunnetti, Journalist, La$yer, Dilshy 1anu, Doreen Fernan o, Dr. Dhammika (erath, !ca amic, Peace an Develo&ment )esearch, School of -lo0al Stu ies, 5mil van er Poorten, 5thayarani *hiraveil, Faha Farook, Fai'un .ackariya, Fr. Jeya0alan *roos, Fr. Se0amalai, Fr. +errence Fernan o, Fre y -amage, -amini !kmeemana, -amini ,iyango a " Journalist, -ehan -unatilleke # !ttorney# at#La$, (anna /0raham " Journalist, (arean (ettiarachchi, (arini !marasuriya, /noja Munasinghe, Mem0er of 3r0an *ouncil , /romi Perera, J . * Weliamuna " !ttorney#at#La$, Jehanki !nan ha, Jensila Majee ,Ju$airiya Mohi een, %an iah )ajale sumi " 1atticaloa, %rishna ,elu&illai, %shama )ana$ana, Lakmali (emachan ra, Lakshman -unasekara, Journalist , Leela /ssac, Lionel 1o&age, M. D. Mahin a&ala 6*inematogra&her7, M.!. Sumanthiran, MP " +amil National !lliance 8 !ttorney#at#La$, Mahen ran +hiruvarangan, Mahesh Munasingha 6! &oet in *ana a7, Malathi e !l$is, Mano !lles , Mario -ome', Marisa e Silva, Marisa Fernan o, Melani Manel Perera, Miyuru -unasinghe, Nakaka Disanayaka, Neloufer e Mel, Nilshan Fonseka, Nirmal )anjith Devasiri, Nirmanusan 1alasun aram, 9ma %. *hunchi,Pathmeranjin#Social $orker,Phili& Diassanaike , Phili& Setunga, Prashanthi Jayasekara, Prashanthi Mahin aratne, Prema -amage, Priya +hangarajah, Priyanthi Fernan o, Prof. %umar Davi , ).M.1 Senanayake, )ajani *han ra, )anukathavi# Social $orker, )asika Dee&ani, )uki Fernan o, Sachini Perera, Safeeka # $omen:s net$ork coor inator, Samanmalie (ettiarchchi,Sam&ath Push&akumara " !ttorney#

at#La$,Samsath 1egam#$omen:s net$ork *oor inator, Sanjana (attotu$a, Sarala 5mmanuel, Satha # Social $orker, Seetha )anjanee, Journalist, Shalini Wickramasuriya, Siritunga Jayasuriya # 3nite Socialist Party, Sr. Dee&a Fernan o, Stella Philli&, Ste&hanie -ona$ela, Su0ha Wijesiri$ar ena, Su arhsna -una$ar hana, !ttorney "at#La$, Sulochana *olom0age, Sunan a Desha&riya, Sunethra 1an aranaike, Sunil Wijesiri$r ene, +amara e Silva, +ehani !riyaratne, +hiruni %elegama, +hushari Ma aha&ola, 3 eni +he$ara&&eruma, !ttorney "at#La$ , 3ma )ajamantri, ,anamali -ala&&atti, ,anni Simon, ,elayu an Jayachithra, ,elusamy Weerasingham, ,iolet Perera, ,isakha +illekeratne, W. Jayasiri, Wasaam /smail, ;asasmin %aviratne, Sis. !ngela, Sis. *hristeen, !u rey )u0era, Pa ma Wak$ella, Scolastica 33 Organizations: !ffecte Women:s Forum 6!kkarai&attu7, *entre for Peo&le:s Dialogue, *entre for Policy !lternative, *ommunity 5 ucation *enter, Mala0e, Da0in u *ollective, %atunayaka, 5astern Social Develo&ment Foun ation, 5astern 3nite Women:s 9rgani'ation, Family 9rgani'ation for the Disa&&eare , Free Me ia Movement, -ovi +horathuru *entre, (uman Develo&ment *entre, %an y, /NF9)M (uman )ights Documentation *entre , /nternational *entre for 5thnic Stu ies 6/*5S7, /nternational Movement against !ll forms of Discrimination an )acism 6/M!D)7 , Janaa$a0o aya 6Negam0o7, Mannar Women<s Develo&ment Fe eration , Mothers an Daughters of Lanka, Mullaitheevu Women:s Develo&ment an )eha0ilitation Fe eration, Muslim Women:s Develo&ment +rust 6Puttalum7, Muslim Women<s )esearch an !ction Forum, National Fisheries Soli arity Movement, National Peace *ouncil, Peo&les *entre for Dialogue, )ight to Life, )ights No$ *ollective for Democracy, Shama Shakthi Savi anaya , Sri Lanka Women:s N-9 Forum, ,oluntary Service Develo&ment 9rganisation for Women 6+rincomalee7, Women !ction for /n e&en ent Develo&ment # W9M5N!/D net$ork, Women an Me ia *ollective 6WM*7 , Women:s Develo&ment *entre6 1a ulla7, Women 5 ucation an )esearch *enter, Women<s !ction Net$ork, Women<s *entre, Ja#5la,Women<s Political !ca emy Sri Lanka.