REPORT ON THE COMMEMORATION OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 1. INTRODUCTION The International Women’s day – 2016 was commemorated by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka under the theme “World Without Her” and experiences and views of 8 regional women leaders who are appearing for problems faced by rural women were subjected to discussion while evaluating their contribution at national level. As an extension of this programme, a round table conference was organized under the same theme parallel to the International Women’s Day, in order to discuss the constraints and challenges faced by the women’s population engaged in informal economic field and initiate action to make the relevant officials aware of such hindrances, thereby compelling the Government to make policy decisions in this regard. Accordingly, the Head Office and 10 Regional Offices of the Human Rights Commission acting under the theme of “World Without Her”, arranged for obtaining views on challenges and constraints faced and achievements realized by women who are engaged in informal economic fields such as Agriculture and various cottage industries. Even though the primary attention was referred to informal economic fields, our attention was focused on the constantly rising problems related to the rights of those who are engaged in employment in Free Trade Zones, Estates and Transitional labour activities since infirm regulatory systems have emerged in these field as a result of these problems. State officials and representatives of Civil Organizations were invited by us for these round table discussions and their views were aired at these discussions. This report contains the views and proposals put forward by the women in informal economic fields and the other representatives of public and civil organizations who took part in the said round table discussion and the round table discussions organized by the Regional Offices as well as recommendations made by virtue of Sections 10 and 11 of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka Act No. 21 of 1996 and presented to the relevant state organizations with regard to the progression to be achieved through protection of rights of those women who are engaged in informal economic fields. Here, the primary objective of the Commission is to achieve improvement of the women who are engaged in informal economic fields, through persuasion of state institutions to act taking into consideration the recommendations made herein when policies are framed and implemented by them. 2 2