The Women and Media Collective (WMC) yesterday urged all the citizens to vote for a Presidential Candidate who has the capacity to ensure a just and ethical political culture in this country.
Speaking to the media yesterday at Hotel Renuka in Colombo, Kumudini Samuel of the WMC said that the WMC has already taken measures to present a Women’s Manifesto for 2019/2020 to all three main Presidential candidates and plans to present it to the rest of the candidates in the future. “What we expect from the next President is to ensure an ethical and democratic political culture. So all member organizations and individuals of the WMC will support the Presidential candidate who accepts the demands presented by the WMC through this manifesto,” she said.
The Women’s Manifesto presented to the Presidential candidates by the WMC consists of 82 demands including the abolishing of the Executive Presidency, ensuringe the independence of the Judiciary, limiting the number of Cabinet ministers to 20 including 25 percent female participation, Constitutional reforms, introduction of the mixed-member proportional voting system, and strengthening the implementation of 25 percent women representation in Parliament, provincial councils and local government bodies in policymaking and decision-making.
“We have range of demands with regard to women’s participation in agriculture, human rights and legal reform, information and hate speech, language and culture, development, traditional livelihoods and ecological justice, labour and work, sexual and reproductive health and rights,” she said.
Samuel said that the violence against women including political violence and domestic violence is still a rampant problem. Presidential candidates should promise to bring new amendments to the Domestic Violence Act immediately.
Viola Prera of the WMC, Maithreyi Rajasingham of Viluthu and Anberiya Hanifa of Muslim Women’s Research and Action Forum also spoke at the media conference.
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