Contrary to the Constitution: Women being discriminated against!

President’s order to reinstate the ban on the sale of alcohol to women and to prevent females from working in liquor shops contravenes the fundamental rights in the constitution says Political commentators in the country. The Gazette issued by Minister of Finance and Media, Mangala Samaraweera revoking the ban on the sale of alcohol to women and preventing females from working in liquor shops which have been in place for over 60 years is now itself set to be revoked by the order of the President.

According to the Fundamental Rights of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka mentioned in chapter 3, “No citizen shall be discriminated against on the grounds of race, religion, language, caste, sex, political opinion, place of birth or any such grounds” while it also says that “No person shall, on the grounds of race, religion, language, caste, sex or any one of such grounds, be subject to any disability, liability, restriction or condition with regard to access to shops, public restaurants, hotels, places of public entertainment and places of public worship of his own religion”.

Confirmation of Equal Rights

On January 10, the Minister of Finance and Media signed a special gazette revoking the archaic ban on the sale of alcohol to women and to prevent females from working in liquor shops which have been in place for over 60 years despite the constitution giving women equal rights.

Accordingly, the ban on women being employed to produce and sell liquor as well as to buy alcohol was abolished allowing adult women to purchase alcohol legally.

As the ban is discriminatory against women the government has announced its decision to revoke the archaic law imposed in 1955.

Attempt to gain politically!

However the President today announced that the special gazette revoking the ban itself will be revoked. He made this statement at a public rally held in Agalawatta today.

“There was a law preventing women from working in bars and liquor shops while it also prevented them purchasing alcohol but I heard this law has been changed,” he said.

The President went on to say that he contacted the Minister Samaraweera, the Premier and several other Ministers in this regard and asked the Gazette to be revoked.

According to political analysts, the President had made such a statement to make political gains on behalf of several Buddhist monks who had worked actively for the Rajapaksa regime during the recent past.