Gender inequality in Sri Lanka is centered on the inequalities that arise between men and women in Sri Lanka. Specifically, these inequalities affect many aspects of women's lives, starting with sex-selective abortions and male preferences, then education and schooling in childhood, which influence job opportunities, property rights, access to health and political participation in adulthood. While Sri Lanka is ranked well on several gender equality indices in comparison to other countries in the region, there are also some sources that question the verity of these indices.[1] However, globally, Sri Lanka ranks relatively lower on gender equality indices.[2] Overall, this pattern of social history that disempowers females produces a cycle of undervaluing females, providing only secondary access to health care and schooling and thus fewer opportunities to take on high level jobs or training, which then exacerbates the issue of low political participation and lowered social rights, a cycle studied and noted on by Dr. Elaine Enarson, a disaster sociologist studying the connection between disaster and the role of women.[3]
- ^ Dijkstra, A. Geske (1 July 2006). "Towards a Fresh Start in Measuring Gender Equality: A Contribution to the Debate". Journal of Human Development. 7 (2): 275–283. doi:10.1080/14649880600768660. ISSN 1464-9888.
- ^ "United Nations Statistics Division - Demographic and Social Statistics". unstats.un.org. Archived from the original on 8 April 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
- ^ Elaine Enarson (1 September 2000). "Gender and natural disasters". International Labour Organization lo.org. Retrieved 2 November 2015.