In honour of International Women’s Day 2022, the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) announced the launch of “e-diriya” – a mobile application that provides information on CMC services and other essential public services available to women. The application highlights the commitment of the CMC to the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day #BreakTheBias: “Imagine a gender equal world” and reiterates the importance of access to information in transforming the lives of women.
At the launch event, it was explained that e-diriya is a one-stop application, specifically targeting women living in the Colombo city limits which provides vital information on the services provided to women by the CMC and includes information on livelihoods, maternal care, employment opportunities, pre-schooling, and recreational services. The app also connects women with the nearest police station within the Colombo city limits in case of an emergency. The launch of the application showcases the CMC’s commitment to promoting women’s rights in Sri Lanka, while setting an example for other local government (LG) authorities. With information, people can better access government services, participate in public life, and hold their Government accountable. Access to information is a fundamental human right and an enabling right that supports individuals to exercise the full spectrum of their social, economic, and political rights. The right to information (RTI) is particularly important for women as it serves to promote gender equality and bridge the gender gap.
Speaking at the event, Mayoress of Colombo Rosy Senanayake stated: “We are here today to break the bias within our communities, to keep women safe, and to work together as women towards a shared objective of keeping ourselves and our fellow community members engaged in a diverse, equitable, and inclusive world.”
She further noted that our issues here in Sri Lanka of bias manifest as violence against women and girls, which is one of the most prevalent human rights violations in the world, and knows no social, economic, or national boundaries. “The bias that manifests in violence undermines the health, dignity, security, and autonomy of women,” she stated, adding that as we all know, gender equality is a human right and women are entitled to live with dignity and with freedom from want and from fear.
She also stated that gender equality is also a precondition for advancing development and reducing poverty. “Empowered women contribute to the health and productivity of whole families and communities and they improve prospects for the next generation; despite solid evidence demonstrating the centrality of women’s empowerment to realising human rights, reducing poverty, promoting development, and addressing the world’s most urgent challenges, gender equality remains an unfulfilled promise,” she expressed.
The e-diriya initiative is part of the Inform Women, Transform Lives global campaign initiated by The Carter Centre. The launch of the application will be followed by an extensive media campaign to inform women and the general public on how to use the application. Commenting on the initiative, Senanayake stated that it was launched to ensure we break the cycle of our women being vulnerable, adding that they believe that informed women can transform their lives.
“I am indeed privileged that The Carter Centre has selected 13 female-headed municipal councils of 13 countries to endorse the theme ‘Informed women, transform lives’. I am delighted that The Carter Centre has selected the city of Colombo, and as Mayor, I am proud to lead this campaign, to join women around the world in this unique campaign,” she further shared.
On a conclusive note, she requested everyone to join them on this journey of keeping our women informed towards leading better lives, and appealed that the public share the information about the app widely so that the women of the city of Colombo will be safe and better informed.