Sri Lanka women MPs seek rule changes to stop harassment in Parliament

The Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus, submitted a request to Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne on February 5, 2026 seeking changes to Parliament’s Standing Orders to prevent verbal harassment and insults against women MPs inside the chamber.

The request highlights growing concerns over the conduct and statements of some Members of Parliament that have led to women representatives being verbally abused during parliamentary sessions.

The Tenth Parliament is noted as having the highest number of elected women representatives in Sri Lanka’s history. As elected leaders in a representative democracy, these women carry out their responsibilities both inside and outside the House.

The Caucus pointed out that although symbolic programmes such as the annual “Orange Day,” held under the “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence,” have been organized, these efforts have not been properly reflected in daily conduct within Parliament.

This concern was stated in the formal request signed by the Chairperson of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus and Minister of Women and Child Affairs, Hon. Saroja Savithri Paulraj, along with other members.

The Caucus emphasized that a recent trend of verbal harassment specifically targeting women MPs has been observed. It stressed that such behaviour is not only a personal issue but also a threat to the sovereignty of the people, the freedom of women to express their views, and their right to take part in politics.

It was further noted that this situation creates a negative example for women’s participation in politics across society.

Accordingly, the Caucus proposed that any behaviour or speech by both male and female MPs that results in verbal harassment or insults against women members should be strictly controlled. They stated that this could be enforced under the “Discipline in Parliament” section of the Standing Orders.

Based on these concerns, the Caucus requested the Speaker to introduce a new Standing Order so that proper action can be taken against such conduct.

Several members of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus were present when the request was submitted.