International Women's Day

Abstract

In Sri Lanka women are half as likely to enter the labour market, and twice as likely to be unemployed than men. 82% of the unemployment for women comes from between the ages of 20 and 40. This is almost seven times the unemployment compared to women of other ages. Within ages 20 and 40, women are on average four times likely to be unemployed compared to men of the same age. State sponsored maternity leave benefits costs significantly lower than other welfare programs of the government. Maternity leave benefits cost 0.5% of tax revenue as of 2021, compared to Samurdhi payments, amounting to 4.2% of tax revenue. When Sri Lanka ratified the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Maternity Protection Convention in 1952 (No. 103), it committed to the state supporting maternity leave benefits.