Executive summary
Background, scope and objective
This report presents a review of literature on women’s political participation, aiming to identify historical, structural, socio-cultural, financial, and institutional barriers, while evaluating the impact of existing equity mechanisms and recommending pathways for inclusive reform. The objective of this study was to examine existing literature interrogating the persistent disparities in women’s political representation across national, provincial, and local levels, with attention to variations across ethnic, religious, and regional contexts.
Methodology and limitations
The study is a literature review based on a variety of sources spanning books, academic papers, reports, briefs and white papers, and government policy documents which were selected based on keywords pertaining to the topic. A mapping of existing literature previously undertaken by UNFPA Sri Lanka provided the analytical foundation, expanded to include a broader examination of socio-cultural norms and legal frameworks.
There are several limitations of this study pertaining to its scope as a desk research. One is that it only consulted literature available in English. This eliminates the possibility of discussing an array of literature available in Sinhala and Tamil languages pertaining to women’s political participation in Sri Lanka. Secondly, given the scope of the study, the research did not consider empirical data to interrogate into barriers affecting women’s political participation. An empirical study in the future could offer valuable practical insights on nuanced issues pertaining to women’s political participation.
Structure of the report
The analysis is structured thematically to assess: socio-cultural and ethno-religious barriers; political finance and economic constraints; violence and safety concerns; and the role and efficacy of legislative and policy remedies, including quotas. Each section examines barriers to women’s political participation and thereafter assesses the effectiveness of current interventions and prospects for women within the present political culture. Subsequently, the report outlines recommendations.
