UN Report Highlights Persistent Gender Gaps in Sri Lanka 📈

• Overall Legal & Social Landscape The UN identifies 67 discriminatory provisions across 28 laws affecting family, employment, and citizenship. High rates of gender-based violence persist, with 1 in 4 women experiencing intimate partner violence and 90% reporting harassment on public transport. • Economic Participation & Finance The female labour force participation rate stands at 31.6%, significantly trailing the male rate of ~70%. Unpaid care work remains a primary barrier. Additionally, women-led businesses face a massive financing gap estimated at US$ 17 Bn. • Leadership & Representation Despite comprising over 50% of the population, women hold less than 10% of parliamentary seats (22 out of 225). Representation in the Cabinet of Ministers is minimal at 8.7% (2 out of 23 positions). • Digital & Climate Vulnerabilities While 62% of women are digitally literate, only 34.6% possess computer literacy. Women also account for 58% of cybercrime complaints. In agriculture and fisheries, climate-related disasters disproportionately impact women through increased unpaid labor and disrupted maternal health access. • Summary Note Based on UN factsheet data as of March 2026. Closing these gaps requires urgent legal reforms and targeted economic empowerment to realize full gender equality.