COLOMBO – Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment, Manusha Nanayakkara, has said that the new employment bill will ensure there is no discrimination against the transgender community in Sri Lanka.
“We will end discrimination by saying ‘kisima bedayakin thorawa’ (without any differences) in the new employment bill,” Nanayakkara said, adding that the bill was likely to be ready in February.
“Currently, there is a lot of discrimination that the transgender community faces in employment,” Nanayakkara pointed out, adding that the new employment bill will ensure the discrimination would not continue. The assurance followed a meeting the minister had with the representatives of the transgender community in September 2023, to discuss their concerns.
Nanayakkara said the labour ministry plans to align Sri Lanka’s labour laws with the C190 (Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019) and C180 (Seafarers’ Hours of Work and the Manning of Ships Convention, 1996) conventions of the International Labour Organization, and that it is committed to combatting discrimination with a dedicated chapter. It will also include eliminating gender-specific terms for inclusivity, he added.
Nanayakkara noted that Sri Lanka has 16 labour laws including the Employment of Women, Young People and Children Act that prohibits women from working at night, and said legislation with regard to employment of women will be reformed under the new employment bill.
Sri Lanka has made an effort to recognize the rights of LGBTQ people by the private member bill pushed by MP Premnath Dolawatte that seeks the repeal of sections 365 and 365 (a) of the Penal Code.
-economynext.com
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