A pre-budget discussion for the year 2026, focusing on the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs, was held this morning (20) at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Sri Lanka Latest News
The meeting reviewed the projects implemented under the 2025 budget allocations for institutions operating under the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs, including the Sri Lanka Women’s Bureau, the National Women’s Committee, the National Secretariat for Early Childhood Development, the Department of Probation and Child Care Services, and the National Child Protection Authority. Their individual progress was also examined in detail.
President Dissanayake stressed the importance of effectively utilizing these budget provisions within the designated financial year and ensuring that their benefits reach the public. He further highlighted the vital role of the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs and reviewed its future plans.
The President directed officials to develop programs aimed at empowering women and eradicating rural poverty. He emphasized that all ministries—including Women and Children’s Affairs, Fisheries, Agriculture, and Industry—should work collectively towards liberating rural communities from poverty. He also underscored the need to integrate efforts not only from the public and private sectors but also from non-governmental organizations, and instructed officials to establish a formal methodology for this purpose.
Special attention was drawn to the welfare of children in daycare centers and the issue of school dropouts. The President instructed officials to ensure that every child continues their education without interruption until completion.
The discussion also addressed the urgent need to formulate a comprehensive strategy to protect children from harmful social media influences and to prevent child abuse.
Among those present at the meeting were Minister of Women and Child Affairs Saroja Savitri Paulraj, Deputy Minister Dr. Namal Sudarshana, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, Senior Additional Secretaries to the President Russell Aponsu, Kapila Janaka Bandara, and Roshan Gamage, along with a group of senior officials from the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs.
