Challenges of women political participation in Sri Lanka: with special reference to Kalmunai Muslim divisional secretariat

Abstract

Political participation is the key elements of making democracy. Political Participation means in electoral processes involves just much more than voting, political participation derives from the freedom to speak out, assemble and associate, the ability to take part in conduct of public affairs and the opportunity to register as a candidate, to campaign, to be elected and to hold office at all level of government. This research has been doneon challenges of Women Political Participation in Kalmunai Muslim Divisional Secretariat. Kalmunai Muslim Divisional Secretariat is the one of the Divisional Secretariats of Ampara District in Sri Lanka.The research area consists of Kalmunai, Maruthamunai, Natpittimunai and Islamabath villages and also 29 Grama Niladari Divisions. This research area belongs to majority of Muslims. Tamils, Sinhalese and Christians are minority. Majority of this Divisional Secretariat are women. This research has been done in order to find out the reasons for the lack of women political participation and to enhance opportunities for that women political participation in this Secretariat. The data used here are qualitative and they have been collected from primary data which are limited observation and interviews and the secondary data such as books, magazines and internet. According to this research, we are able to know the reason for lack of women political participation of this Divisional Secretariat. Some of them are major factors lack of interest in politics to the women, lack supports from the family. Women don’t come forward to vote for women, affect of culture and women’s frightening tendency toward violence and weakness of women societies.