Over 20,000 women victimized by atrocities and violence in SL this year

Family Health Bureau says a significant number of women in Sri Lanka are subjected to violence during pregnancy 

• Plans should be implemented effectively to prevent violence against women at home as well as the violence faced by women at the workplace

The number of women who have been victims of various atrocities and violence this year is more than twenty thousand in Sri Lanka, an official of the Family Health Bureau of the Ministry of Health said. 

Dr. Netanjali Mapitigama of the Family Health Bureau of the Ministry of Health addressing a workshop to discuss the contents of the multi-sectoral National Action Plan to address Sexual and Gender Based Violence against Women (SGBV), said that a significant number of women in Sri Lanka are subjected to violence during pregnancy.  

This programme was held under the patronage of (Dr.) (Mrs.) Sudarshini Fernandopulle, Chair of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus in Parliament and (Mrs.) Thalatha Athukorala, Chair of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Children, Women and Gender.  

Expressing views, the Members of Parliament stated that these plans should be implemented effectively to prevent violence against women in the home as well as the violence faced by women in the workplace.  

Under the initiative of the Ministry of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment, this multi-sectoral national action plan has been prepared in relation to the curricula of 13 ministries focusing on 18 sectors.  

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Gender Advisory Ms. Sriani Perera and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Advisory Dr. Lakshman Senanayake elaborated on the contents of the National Action Plan to address Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV). The parties who participated in the workshop were also given the opportunity to give their new ideas and suggestions to this national action plan.