Photo courtesy of reliefweb
“This budget is not just about economic reform-it is about justice, equality, collectivism, and humanity. It is a budget that transforms the country, ensuring that policies are not merely written into law but are actively implemented to create meaningful and lasting change.” Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya in parliament.
The government’s 2025 budget, introduced under a new administration with progressive ideologies, claims to prioritize gender equality and women’s empowerment. With gender focused allocations, it outlines initiatives to improve women’s rights, economic participation, healthcare and social welfare. However, a closer look raises doubts about whether these measures will deliver meaningful and sustainable change or whether they are merely populist gestures crafted for political approval.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, a key figure in the budget discussions, emphasized that the budget’s goals are to ensure no one is left behind. “This budget addresses the needs of women, children, and all marginalized and oppressed groups, offering targeted measures for their welfare and advancement,” she said. While the sentiment is admirable, the budget’s provisions suggest that achieving lasting gender equality may be more complex than the numbers on paper suggest.
A highlight of the budget was the Rs. 45 billion allocated to the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, representing a 12% increase from the previous year. This allocation signifies a growing recognition of gender equality in policy making. Among the key provisions, Rs. 10 billion is dedicated to women’s economic empowerment primarily through microfinance, entrepreneurship grants and skills development. While these measures could provide economic independence for some women, they are predominantly limited to low paying, small scale businesses. These opportunities fall short of integrating women into high value sectors such as technology and engineering, which offer better long term financial stability and growth.
Additionally, Rs. 8 billion has been earmarked for maternal and reproductive healthcare, aiming to reduce maternal mortality rates and improve mental health support. However, the healthcare infrastructure, especially in rural areas, remains a significant challenge. The allocation of these funds may not be sufficient to meet the demand for essential services, leaving many women in underserved regions at risk. Rs. 5 billion is allocated to combat Gender-Based Violence (GBV), funding shelters, legal aid and awareness campaigns. While any investment in this area is critical, this figure is starkly lower than the Rs. 15 billion allocated by regional peers such as Indonesia for the same cause.
The budget includes Rs. 12 billion for education and vocational training with a particular focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields. This is intended to address gender disparities in high growth sectors. However, without comprehensive strategies to combat cultural biases and offer mentorship, women’s participation in STEM will likely remain low. Rs. 10 billion has been allocated for social welfare programs targeting single mothers, widows and elderly women. While this is an important provision, it may not be enough given the increasing economic hardships faced by many women across the country.
In a significant and timely step to support girls’ health and ensure uninterrupted access to education, the government has allocated Rs. 1.4 billion to provide sanitary napkins to schoolgirls. Ensuring access to menstrual hygiene products is essential for reducing absenteeism among schoolgirls, contributing to gender equity in education.
Despite these positive developments, the gender focused budget lags behind countries with similar Human Development Index (HDI) rankings such as Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. Thailand has allocated Rs. 75 billion toward social security and gender responsive policies that ensure women can enter high income industries and leadership roles. In contrast, Sri Lanka’s focus on micro-enterprises limits women’s access to more robust economic opportunities. Indonesia has committed Rs. 60 billion to gender mainstreaming, addressing the gender wage gap and workplace discrimination whereas Sri Lanka has yet to introduce comparable policies. The Philippines mandates gender responsive budgeting across all government agencies, ensuring that at least 5% of government expenditure is directed toward gender equality – a practice Sri Lanka has yet to adopt.
The budget fails to address several critical issues affecting women’s empowerment. Unpaid care work remains a substantial burden with many women spending disproportionate amounts of time on household labor, childcare and eldercare. The budget does not provide provisions for affordable childcare services, paid parental leave or support for elderly care.
Although the budget promotes microfinance and entrepreneurship, it does little to encourage women’s entry into high paying, high growth sectors such as technology, engineering and manufacturing. The STEM workforce remains predominantly male, largely due to cultural biases and a lack of opportunities for women. There are no targeted scholarships or mentorship programs to increase women’s representation in these fields. In contrast, countries such as Thailand and Indonesia have introduced gender quotas and financial incentives to integrate women into high income industries yet Sri Lanka has not adopted such approaches.
The issue of workplace discrimination and the gender pay gap remains largely unaddressed. While the budget aims to increase women’s economic participation, it lacks policies to eliminate wage disparities, ensure equal pay for equal work and promote women to leadership positions. Countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines have already enacted laws for equal pay and gender responsive budgeting but Sri Lanka has yet to take concrete steps in this direction.
The budget’s allocation for GBV is inadequate. Given the rising instances of domestic violence, workplace harassment and sexual abuse, greater investment in shelters, legal aid and psychological support is essential. Without stricter laws and more substantial funding, survivors will continue to lack the protection and resources they need to rebuild their lives.
The budget also falls short in addressing rural women’s healthcare and reproductive rights. Rural hospitals suffer from a shortage of trained medical personnel and inadequate infrastructure, making access to maternal health services, contraception and mental healthcare a significant challenge. Family planning services are underfunded, leaving women with limited access to reproductive education and services. Without a stronger commitment to expanding healthcare access in rural areas, many women will continue to suffer from preventable health issues.
Financial inclusion and land ownership rights remain key barriers to women’s empowerment. While microfinance programs are included, many women lack the collateral to access formal bank loans and are forced to rely on high interest informal lenders. Inheritance laws often disadvantage women, making it more difficult for them to own property and build financial security. Without legal and financial reforms, true economic empowerment remains out of reach.
For the budget to have a meaningful impact, Sri Lanka must adopt gender responsive budgeting across all government sectors, similar to the Philippines’ approach, which allocates at least 5% of the government budget to gender equity. Although the budget shows significant progress, its failure to address some of the key critical issues that hinder women’s development such as unpaid care work, gender-based violence and workplace discrimination raises doubts about the government’s true commitment to women’s empowerment. “This is our first budget, and while there is still much work ahead, its importance lies in the clear direction it establishes. We have not only envisioned a prosperous and just society, but we have also set the foundation for making it a reality.”
As Dr. Harini Amarasuriya emphasized to move beyond political experimentation, Sri Lanka must adopt a more structured and accountable approach to ensure that women’s empowerment is not just a budgetary allocation but a genuine policy commitment.