Women MPs Propose Setting a Common Minimum Age for Marriage

The Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus has presented a proposal to establish a common legal minimum age for marriage across all communities in Sri Lanka.

The caucus, chaired by Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj, convened on January 21 in Parliament to discuss this issue along with other key legislative reforms. The members highlighted the urgent need to amend existing marriage laws and to redefine the term “child” in alignment with international standards to enhance child protection measures.

During the meeting, it was decided to seek input from civil society organizations and relevant stakeholders to prepare the necessary amendments.

The forum also revisited earlier proposals on women’s empowerment and decided to refine them for future consideration.

Deputy Co-Chairpersons Chamindrani Kiriella and Samanmali Gunasinghe, along with other Parliamentarians participated in these discussions.