COLOMBO – A 19-member delegation from Sri Lanka’s Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus concluded a week-long official visit to India aimed at strengthening parliamentary cooperation and expanding collaboration on women’s empowerment, governance and inclusive development initiatives.
The delegation, led by Saroja Savithri Paulraj, Sri Lanka’s Minister of Women and Child Affairs, visited India from May 10 to 16 and included 15 Members of Parliament and four officials from the Parliament of Sri Lanka, including the Secretary General.
The visit marked the first-ever official tour to India by Sri Lanka’s Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus and was organized by the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE) in collaboration with India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
According to Indian officials, the program was undertaken in line with the joint vision of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to deepen parliamentary engagement and strengthen ties between women leaders of both countries.
During the visit, the delegation met with senior Indian political leaders and officials, including Speaker of the Lok Sabha Om Birla, India’s Minister for Women and Child Development Annapurna Devi, and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.
Discussions focused on sharing best practices and strengthening cooperation in areas such as women-led development, gender equality, maternal and child welfare, the care economy and increasing women’s participation in political leadership and governance.
The Sri Lankan delegation also received exposure to India’s governance and social welfare models through interactions with the Delhi Police, Anganwadi workers and women-led Self-Help Groups.
Officials said particular emphasis was placed on the role of digital identity systems in improving inclusive public service delivery during a visit to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
The FICCI Ladies Organization (FLO) hosted the delegation for a roundtable discussion on the role of women in driving economic growth, entrepreneurship and innovation.
PRIDE also conducted a series of sessions on legislative processes, gender budgeting, parliamentary committee systems and democratic governance practices in India and Sri Lanka.
As part of the cultural program, the delegation visited the Taj Mahal in Agra, as well as the India Gate, the National War Memorial and ‘The Light and The Lotus: Relics of the Awakened One’ exhibition at the Rai Pithora Cultural Complex in New Delhi.
Officials said the visit reaffirmed the commitment of both India and Sri Lanka to deepen parliamentary engagement and institutional collaboration while promoting women-led transformation and inclusive, sustainable development in the region.
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