Sarvajana Balavegaya Calls for Greater Protection of Children Beyond World Children’s Day

The Sarvajana Balavegaya has called for greater attention to the protection and welfare of children, stressing that efforts to safeguard children should not be limited to a single day.

Speaking at a media briefing, Surangi Samarathunga, the Anuradhapura District Women’s Organiser of the party, said adults should protect and care for children whenever possible.

Referring to this year’s World Children’s Day theme, “Strong Minds, Bright Futures,” she questioned whether children are genuinely safe within Sri Lankan society.

She claimed that reports of child abuse and sexual violence against children have been increasing.

Samarathunga said that more than 10,000 complaints had reportedly been received by the Women and Children’s Bureau last year, while 2,376 complaints had been received so far this year.

She stressed that these figures represented only reported complaints, adding that some parents may refrain from taking action because of social stigma and embarrassment.

She questioned the relevant minister about the programmes currently being implemented to address child abuse and protect children, claiming that, to her knowledge, many of the existing programmes continued to follow older approaches.

She further alleged that although the government had introduced programmes to address these issues, they were not being implemented effectively.

Turning to the country's economic situation, Samarathunga claimed that poverty had increased significantly and that many families were facing severe economic pressure.

She said some parents were struggling to provide even basic food such as eggs for their children and that many families were finding it difficult to afford three meals a day.

Samarathunga also criticised the government's taxation policies, saying that while taxation was necessary for a country to move forward, the burden should be imposed in a manner that does not place excessive pressure on the public.