One tends to cynically wonder whether all the well meaning platitudes and comments made at the different seminars and discussions held on International women’s day will see light of day. The representation of women in politics one could say was almost the central theme in many of the concepts exchanged on this day, however having a quota for women’s representation in politics will not have any dramatic impact on the political scenario of Sri Lanka unless political parties take into their executive committee women activists not only those in urban areas but others at grass root level.

Furthermore, paying lip service to sections of popular demand and agreeing to establish a quota for women’s representation is of not much value unless women activists urge that the large number of Sri Lankan migrants especially in the Middle East are given voting rights. The remittances of these workers eased the impact of the recession that occurred within the last two years .According to Central Bank reports ,these remittances during the first nine month in 2009 were US dollars 634 million (about 34 percent in excess) of the trade deficit. A World Bank report further states that remittances have held up quite well during the crisis, increasing to 5.4 percent to 1.6 billion dollars in the six months to June 2009 compared to 1.5 billion dollars in the corresponding period in 2008 .There is a rough correlation, the report further adds, between the stock of migrant workers and remittances, with every 1000 increase in the migrant work force bringing in an additional revenue of 1.7 million dollars. ‘While the existing migrant stocks fell in destinations such as South Korea, the main migrant destination – the Middle East, which holds nearly 85 percent of the total migrant workforce, remained steady. Initial data for the second half of 2009 indicate that remittances have accelerated post conflict.’

Given the amount of remittances the migrant workers bring into the country, it appears that almost all our politicians have been very extremely lackadaisical about considering the inherent rights these workers have as citizens of this country . One wonders too whether in our quest for women’s representation we have tended to neglect agitating and making representations that women migrant workers who constitute of more than half the number of migrant workers in the middle East are given their voting rights. Perhaps our memories are rather short regarding these women migrants whose remittances often are essential to the country’s foreign exchange, how few of us even remember the plight of Rizanna Nafeek the Sri Lankan teenager who was sentenced to death. Certainly there was a tremendous outcry and various measures were advocated and taken to save her life, but what has been the final outcome , few know! Given that this is the usual attitude we have, it is no wonder that a continuing and concerted action has been taken to help these migrant workers to exercise their voting rights.

As early as 2000 David Soysa Director Migrant Service Centre stated that in view of Article 4 of the Sri Lankan constitution and since Sri Lanka has ratified the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and their families which states in Article 41 (1) of the Convention that ‘the migrant workers and members of their families shall have the right to participate in public affairs of their state of origin and to vote …… and (11) the states concerned shall as appropriate and in accordance with the legislation facilitate the exercise of these rights’.

In 2003 when returnee migrant workers met to commemorate international Migrant day they resolved to make representations to the president Prime ministers and head of political parties to afford opportunities for migrant workers to exercise their voting and political rights. Anton Lodwick the Secretary General National workers Congress and Chairman Migrant Services Centre Trust in a publication on Internet highlights this demand and states that the voting rights for migrant workers are a neglected prospect due to the lack of recognition by media to generate and sustain public opinion on behalf of migrant women’s rights; Lack of awareness and recognition of the need for ‘effective franchisement’ of migrant workers , by civil society , which includes policy makers , human rights activists the workers themselves and the public ; and a lack of recognition of the need by registered political parties to permit absentee voting for migrant workers. While migrant worker associations have been formed at grass roots to take a lead in the demand many workers being women believe that since most of the migrant workers are women the provision to exercise their franchise will enable them to strengthen their demands through the political system that prevails.

However it appears that though this need was formally expressed in 2003 seven years later it has yet not been implemented, and no political party seems to have bothered to give it the prominence it needs in their manifestos. The minute number of women representatives in the 2004 Parliament too do not appear to have made any move to present a motion or initiate a discussion on this matter in Parliament. The silence of our political leaders appears to yet continue. Their political campaigns seem to be more based on mud slinging and character assassinations rather than on substantial policy statements . Each candidate seems to be more concerned in proclaiming that he/ she is the greatest and the opposing candidate or the manape political contestant is just not worthy to enter into the fray than in taking up and suggesting solutions to existing realities.

In this situation one tends to think that the problem of migrant workers and their voting rights is of little or no consequence., even though many must be aware that it is the remittances of these forgotten workers that enable the Treasury to obtain the much needed foreign exchange . a glimmer of hope in the present situation is that Milinda Moragoda the leader of the Sri Lanka national Congress a constituent party of the UPFA has launched a website dedicated to promoting access to vote for Sri Lankans abroad. In a press release he states that over 1.7 million have gone abroad for work and states that procedures should be put in place in our election laws so as to enable them to exercise their right to vote.

Let us hope that many more political leaders including those women representatives to Parliament will consider this as priority and initiate early action to make the necessary changes in the election law to enable migrant workers to exercise their vote.