Women in local government

It has been close to four months since the Local Government Elections were held with a 25 percent quota for women. For the first time in the country’s history, over 2,526 women entered the halls of local councils around the country. In some, it was the first time that a woman member sat in its chambers.

As a whole, the quota system managed to increase the number of women in local government from a mere 2 percent to 29 percent. Political parties had fielded 17,128 women candidates as a result of the quota this year. The question now is, how will these pioneering women change the system? And have they been equipped to do so?

Last week, a group of women who had been elected to local government bodies gathered at Janaki Hotel, Colombo, to discuss the issues and challenges they face, having fought for over 25 years to get representation in these councils.

The councillors, from the Central, Northern, Eastern, Western, Southern, Sabaragamuwa and Uva Provinces, who were earlier trained by various civil society groups, NGOs and individual lobbyists like the International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR) Sri Lanka, Women’s Rights Activist Dr. Nimalka Fernando, and Centre for Women and Development Executive Director Saroja Sivachandran, were now back to discuss their next challenge - how to move forward from here.

From talk to action

For many of the women, this is their first time in public office or, for that matter, the first time in anything political. Though the 25 percent quota for women in local government was passed in Parliament in February 2016, few parties took notice of it until Local Government Elections were actually called two years later. This inevitably led to a last-minute scramble to convince women in the area, regardless of their political experience or qualifications, to run for public office. However, it must also be noted that given the substantial increase in the number of candidates this year, the quality of male candidates coming into the fray has also not been up to the mark.

“I do not have the sufficient knowledge or information to make decisions within the council. I am also not aware of many of the legal matters. It is now that I am learning,” said Chavakachcheri Pradeshiya Sabha TNA member Paulina Subhodini. A first time member, Subhodini said she was eager to work for the people in her constituency and knew of their issues, but her greatest challenge was getting those issues resolved within the framework of the council.

Her concerns were echoed by many of the councillors, who stated that they needed more training in the laws of the council and how it really worked.

Ambagamuwa Pradeshiya Sabha member Saraswathi said this was the first time a woman member had entered the council. “Our area is full of women working in every sector, from the estates to the factories, but there were no women in the council. None spoke of the issues women in the area faced until now,” she said.

Having worked in the community for many years, Saraswathi reiterated that she knew of the problems the people in the area faced, but when she looked to solve them, she was limited by legislation, jurisdiction and funding. “How do we present these problems to the council in a way we are heard?” she asked.

Looking for alternatives

TNA member Mallika from the Manthai West Pradeshiya Sabha, was able to overcome the lack of funding for her projects through appeals to the local TNA MP. “I needed to start a women’s organisation in the area and we had to clean some wells. So I spoke to our MP Shanthi Sriskantharajah and she helped us,” she said.

Having entered the Pradeshiya Sabha through the additional list, she complained that many people outside of the council did not think they were as capable as members who had contested their seats.

Her strategy, however, was seen to be short-termed. Many councillors complained that they could not always go to their local MPs. Further, it was harder for them to get things done when they were in the opposition. At this year’s Local Government Elections, many councils recorded a landslide victory for one party.

Biyagama Pradeshiya Sabha UNP member Mali Algamuwa complained that in her council, there were 30 members in the ruling party and just 13, including her, in the opposition. “They act like they don’t need us. We don’t get any money allocated for our projects. If we ask for money in January, it goes through all the procedures and red tape, and it is June when it is finally passed. It is too late by then. The people are disappointed in us. They don’t understand how the system works,” she said

This is not the first time Algamuwa is a councillor in the Pradeshiya Sabha, and she observed that for newcomers it was difficult to even get a council labourer to do some work. “You have to spend money to bribe even them.”

As new councillors from both the opposition and ruling party were eager to start working for their areas, more experienced councillors at the workshop pointed out that results could only be shown if they were in power.

For Kalawana Pradeshiya Sabha UNP member Vayanthi Muhandiram, politics is not new. For years she had campaigned on behalf of her brother, but this was the first time that she herself had contested in an election. “When we came to the council, we noticed that the previous chairman had not done anything for the people with the money that was allocated to the council. We started asking him questions and exposing corruption. In the opposition, you may not be able to build things, but you can highlight corruption,” she said.

She further advised her fellow councillors to be ‘creative’ in finding funds for the projects they wanted to undertake. “There are various government programmes already in existence and government agencies that are responsible for different matters. Learn about them and direct those who come to you to them.”

Having heard repeated complaints of inadequate funding, Dr. Fernando inquired as to whether the councillors were aware of the various taxes the councils collected and what happened to that revenue. A councillor from the Harispattuwa Pradeshiya Sabha answered that the revenue went to the chairman of the council and it was he who decided on the allocations, thereafter.

Training not over

As the councillors looked for solutions from their peers and trainers, Sivachandran noted that it was time to look into ways in which the women could work within the council. “We need to focus on soft skills. How do we work with others in the council and prepare legislation that will change things?”

She also asked that the members not wait for assistance to come to them, but proactively look for ways in which they could build potential. “There are agencies like the Industrial Development Board and agriculture offices which could be useful to you. You have to become people who provide jobs, those who create opportunity. Develop your potential,” she encouraged.

When later questioned if their training covered council legislature and procedures as this was one of the knowledge gaps highlighted by the councillors, Sivachandran explained that they had indeed educated all women candidates on the legal matters discussed. “We have given them all information about the Constitution and laws, but they more often than not, don’t read.”

In reality, the majority of women had only an O/L qualification, though very popular in their electorates. This ensured that they got elected, but the running of government has proven to be more difficult. The men from similar backgrounds, however, have found a way out by simply not taking part in legislative matters or by getting others to draft legislature for them. Local councils in general have, over the years, adopted very few changes to the manner in which they operate and whilst training programmes for councillors have been plenty, very few have executed radical change on the ground.

“You can’t blame them. Very few educated men or women come into politics,” said Sivachandran.

Tisreena Mohamed Ismalebbe, the National Front for Good Governance (NFGG) member for the Akkaraipattu Municipal Council, has a Master’s degree in Science. Her husband is the General Secretary of the party and she herself has been involved in party politics for some time.

“People are not very aware of the laws and their rights. We need to undertake more research and awareness programmes on what they need,” she said. According to Ismalebbe, her electorate mostly had people who were either self-employed or working in the public sector, and she would like to formulate new programmes with the consultation of the public, but first the public needed to know how the system worked.

Everywhere else, however, despite the limitation in knowledge, the councillors seem to know that the people required basic facilities and that is where they could perform with the right will. UPFA member Daya Dallallage of the Weeraketiya Pradeshiya Sabha, noted that their main concern was building a culvert in their area to stop flooding in their village. The councillor from the Homagama Pradeshiya Sabha stated that her main concern was to get more public toilets built in the area. “Women and the old, especially, need public toilets, but the council says it is not a priority,” she said.

The best example of the right will and determination, however, came from Yatinuwara Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) member, Pushpa. She is not only the only SLMC member in the council, but also the only Sinhalese Buddhist member to run from the SLMC in the area. Yet, she won not just once, but twice, in her electorate. “I have faced many attacks from both sides for running under the SLMC. But I have persevered. We have to fight for things. Women do not get things handed to them,” she said.

Over the years, she has worked in community projects to win local support. “When I first entered the council, I could not even speak up, but today I can speak on any platform,” she added, as she explained that the issues highlighted were not insurmountable, but simply needed experience.

The pilot project into the 25 percent quota system, at the end of the day, has definitely helped many women push their way into a male-dominated sphere of politics. Only time will tell whether women will change the system for the better. As discussions over the inclusion of the 25 percent quota system for women into the provincial council system are underway, Dr. Fernando noted that it would be very difficult to replicate the same in the provincial councils.

“While we got many women in, the system has had several problems as a result of the large numbers of members appointed to the councils. Now we have so many members with very little work to do. I don’t think this would work in the provincial councils.”

At the Local Government Elections, council members were increased to 8,356 members from 4,500 to accommodate an extra 25 percent of women, instead of including them in the existing 4,500. “For many years, we have been fighting for the quota and the only way the male politicians would agree, was to add the extra 25 percent. Otherwise, they saw it as women replacing men,” said Dr. Fernando.

The above reasons, together with the pushback against the new mixed system from the two main parties, will likely result in only the local government system having the 25 percent quota for women. This means that it is these pioneering women who would now have to work twice as hard to ensure that their influence does not just remain local.