New UN Women report calls for stronger action to advance Women's Political Leadership in Sri Lanka

UN Women has called for reforms to strengthen women’s influence in Sri Lankan politics, launching a report on 3 November examining the impact of the country’s 25% quota for women in local government.

The report, “Beyond the Numbers”, considers whether increased representation has translated into participation and leadership, alongside the barriers women face when entering and working within political institutions.

UN Women presented the findings at a dialogue in Colombo involving government representatives, political actors, women leaders, civil society, academics, development partners and United Nations representatives.

According to the organisation, the quota increased women’s representation in local authorities from below 2.5% to nearly 23% in 2018. It said the experience offered lessons for future reforms at provincial and national levels.

The organisation identified party gatekeeping, limited access to campaign funding and political networks, unequal leadership opportunities, harassment and violence as obstacles.

Social expectations that question women’s legitimacy as political leaders also restrict participation, UN Women said.

“While increasing representation is important, the next challenge is ensuring that representation translates into meaningful participation, influence and leadership,” said Ramaaya Salgado, Head of Office of UN Women Sri Lanka.

She said the experiences of women who entered local government through the quota could help identify effective measures and areas requiring further reform.

Participants discussed nomination procedures, campaign financing, leadership progression, safety and accountability, together with institutional and social changes needed to support women in politics.

The dialogue also considered the experiences of women facing overlapping forms of exclusion, including women from minority communities, women with disabilities, young and rural women, those affected by conflict and those outside established political networks.

UN Women said findings and recommendations would inform policy discussions, advocacy, programmes and partnerships.

Its stated objective is to ensure that gains in representation produce influence in decision-making and opportunities for political leadership.