Govt working to clear targets on women’s empowerment

The government’s engagement with the Convention on the the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination (CEDAW) Committee in 2010/2011 identified areas of concern and gave it clear targets to achieve in forming policy oriented national plans of action for women, Plantation Industries Minister and Special Presidential Envoy on Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe said.

He was addressing the UN General Sessions at the Third Committee Meeting in New York.

He said the Committeee acknoweledged that Sri Lnaka was on track to achieving Millinium Development Goals 2(achieving universal primary education),4 (reducing child mortality) and 5 (improving mental health)

Moreover the Committee welcomed the enactment of the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act in 2005,the enactment of Citizenship(Amendment) Act of 2003 enabling a Sri Lankan woman to transmit her citizenship to her child. It also welcomed the Penal Code(Amendment) Act of 2006 which includes a new definition of the offence of trafficking in persons in line with the UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime and its protocols, the establishment of the Ministry of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare and the adoption of the Sri Lanka National Policy on Labour Migration which focuses on concerns of migrant workers.