Sri Lanka’s Gender Equity: Benchmarking Workplace Rights 📈

• Overall Participation: Female labor force participation in Sri Lanka stands at 34%, trailing regional peers like Bangladesh (38%) and Vietnam (over 70%). A majority of women remain in the informal sector or unpaid caregiving without social protections. • Corporate Leadership: Despite a history of female political leadership, women hold only 13.4% of board seats in listed companies and 10% of Parliamentary seats. In contrast, Malaysia and Indonesia have accelerated representation through formal gender quotas and diversity mandates. • Legal & Protection Gaps: • Harassment: While legal provisions exist, implementation is weak compared to India’s mandatory internal complaints committees for workplaces with 10+ employees. • Social Safety: Sri Lanka lags behind India and Bangladesh in providing welfare boards, pensions, and health insurance for women in the informal economy. • Strategic Recommendations: To align with regional best practices, the report suggests introducing affirmative action, extending legal protections to informal workers, and institutionalizing gender-disaggregated data tracking to drive inclusive economic growth.