2022 Budget not gender sensitive

• A major portion of unskilled Sri Lanka expatriate workers especially in the Middle East are women
• The budget has failed to identify the value of women’s participation in the economy

By Yohan Perera

Budget 2022 cannot be termed as a gender sensitive one as the amount of funds allocated for women is less than one percent, it was revealed at a recent discussion.  

  Director Women’s Political Academy Nimalka Fernando said at a recent discussion that the budget had failed to identify the value of women’s participation in the economy. “The stipulated spending of the Ministry of Labour in particular has not identified the role of women. This is despite a major portion of unskilled Sri Lanka expatriate workers especially in the Middle East being women.   

She said few a Ministries such as Health and Education had taken into account women, “Accordingly, 48 percent of the recurrent expenditure allocated for the Ministry of education will be utilized by women in the sector. Around 56 percent of health expenditure is likely to be utilized by women,” she said.   

“Sri Lanka’s women’s participation has dropped to 33.5 percent in 2020 despite the resolution passed at the UN women’s conference held in China in 1995,” she said.   MP Buddhika Pathirana said the budget had failed to allocate funds for the betterment of other groups such as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer ( LGBTQ ) and those who are physically and mentally challenged.