Country Briefing Paper: Women in Sri Lanka

Abstract

The situation of women in Sri Lanka has been influenced by patriarchal values embedded in traditional, colonial, and postindependence societies, by relatively liberal traditional laws and gender inequality reflected in the legal system, and by norms introduced during the British colonial administration. In the transition years following colonial rule, Sri Lankan policymakers introduced a social policy package of free health and education services and subsidized food, which ramatically improved women’s quality of life. Compared to the rest of South Asia, Sri Lankan women are very well-off, enjoying high life expectancy (74 years), nearly universal literacy, and access to economic opportunities, which are nearly unmatched in the rest of the subcontinent.