A delegation from the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus of Sri Lanka met with India’s High Commissioner in Colombo to discuss their recent visit to India. The delegation, led by Saroja Savithri Paulraj, Minister of Women and Child Affairs, included 15 Members of Parliament and four officials from the Sri Lankan Parliament. During their visit to India from May 10-16, they focused on areas such as gender budgeting, women and child nutrition, and digitization.
This visit marked the first time the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus of Sri Lanka had visited India. The trip was organized by the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE) in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. The delegation had the opportunity to learn about India’s governance models and initiatives for women empowerment and child welfare, including engaging with various groups such as Delhi Police and Women Self-Help Groups.
The delegation also had meetings with key figures in India, including Om Birla, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, and Annapurna Devi, Minister for Women and Child Development. Discussions during the visit focused on collaboration and sharing best practices in women-led development, gender equality, maternal and child welfare, and women’s leadership in politics and governance.
The visit aimed to strengthen parliamentary cooperation between India and Sri Lanka, in line with the joint vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of Sri Lanka Anura Kumara Dissanayake. It emphasized the importance of women-led transformation and institutional collaboration for inclusive and sustainable development in both countries.
