Gender Quotas Database
Sri Lanka
Southern Asia
Single / Lower House
Parliament
| Total seats | 225 |
| Total women | 12 |
| Percentage of women | 5% |
| Gender Quota target | |
| Election year | 2020 |
| Electoral system | List PR |
| Quota type | No legislated |
| Election details | IDEA Voter Turnout - IPU Parline |
Quota at the Sub-National Level
| Quota type | Reserved seats |
| Gender Quota target | 25% |
| Legal source | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Quota type: Reserved seats | Electoral law |
27F. (1) Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in this Ordinance, not less than twenty five per centum of the total number of members in each local authority shall be women members: provided that, where the number constituting twenty five per centum of the total number of members in a local authority in an integer and fraction, the integer shall be deemed to be the number which shall constitute twenty five per centum for the purpose of this section. Local Authorities Elections (Amendment) Act, No. 16 of 2017 |
Voluntary Political Party Quotas*
| Party | Official Name | Details, Quota provisions |
|---|---|---|
| No data available. | ||
* Only political parties represented in parliament are included. When a country has legislated quotas in place, only political parties that have voluntary quotas that exceed the percentage/number of the national quota legislation are presented in this table.
Additional information
Previously, several proposals on quotas for women had been made between 1998 and 2000, but then abandoned in 2000. The proposal for a 25% quota for women in local bodies was dropped in the draft constitution presented to parliament and withdrawn in 2000. Tamil and Muslim party leaders opposed the quota because of the difficulties in finding women candidates. In 2002, calls for quotas were renewed. Hema Ratnayake, the Minister of Women's Affairs, has declared that her People's Alliance government will draft legislation to provide a minimum of 25% representation of women in all elected bodies: from the national parliamentary level to village councils.
In 2016, Sri Lanka’s government passed a 25% women’s quota for local elections through the Local Authorities (Amendment) Act, No. 1 of 2016. This was later amended by Act No.16 of 2017, passed in August 2017. The Election Commission has the authority to reject nomination lists submitted by a political party or contesting independent group if they do not meet the basic legal requirements for the number of women candidates (IFES 2018).
Sources
Legal Sources
- Constitution of Sri Lanka (amended through 2022) - Link
- Parliament Elections Act - Link
- Local Authorities Elections Act (amended through 2017) - Link
Other Sources
- Parliament of Sri Lanka - Link
- Election Commission - Link
- International Foundation for Electoral Systems, IFES - Elections in Sri Lanka. 2018 Local Government Elections [Frequently Asked Questions]
- Inter-Parliamentary Union, IPU Parline Sri Lanka
Additional reading
- See the latest updates on Sri Lanka on iKNOW Politics
- Bjarnegård, E., Håkansson, S. & Zetterberg, P. (2020). Gender and Violence against Political Candidates: Lessons from Sri Lanka.Politics and Gender.
- The Borgen Project. 2020. 5 Facts about women's rights in Sri Lanka. [Last accessed: 2022-01-25]
- Vijeyarasa, R. 2020. Women's absence in Sri Lankan politics: Lessons on the effectiveness and limitations of quotas to address under-representation. (81).
- ‘Missing Women and Elections.’ 2001. Midweek Review. November 14.
- Gomez, M. & Shyamala G. 2001. Preferring Women. Women in Action. 46. no. 2.
- Centre for Women's Research. 2000. Post Beijing Reflections: Women in Sri Lanka 1995-2000. Report.
- Kiribaumune, S. (ed.). 1999. Women and Politics in Sri Lanka: A Comparative Perspective. Sri Lanka: International Center for Ethic Studies.
- Samath, F. 1998. Politics-Sri Lanka: Women Promised Quotas in Parliament. Interpress Service, March 20.
- Kodikara, C. & Wickramasinghe, M. Representation in Politics: Women and gender in the Sri Lankan Republic.
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