New Democratic Front (NDF) presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa has pledged to provide sanitary hygiene products free of charge to young girls until cost-effective alternatives are found to resolve the issue of the social stigma they suffer.
“If we are serious about women’s betterment, this is a basic place to begin. More than half of adolescent girls in Sri Lanka miss school when on their period according to UNICEF which had said it has an impact on girls’ education. Our government reduced the 100% levy on sanitary products to 63% but thousands of women still suffer stigma and put themselves at risk every month,” Mr. Premadasa said in his twitter message.
Meanwhile Mr. Premadasa who was speaking during the launch of the youth charter in Colombo yesterday pledged to stop importation of luxury vehicles for VIPS. “ I will also put a stop to the culture of importing new vehicles as soon as a new government is elected to office,” he said.
He said funds saved from the stoppage of luxury vehicles for VIPs will be utilized to launch programmes to empower the youth.
“If elected as President, I will set an example by giving up the use of luxury vehicles,” he said.
Mr. Premadasa also pledged to provide an opportunity for the youth to play a greater role in the country’s development process.
“ We will also launch a digital revolution so that the Sri Lankan youth will be able to compete with the youth in other countries. Our intention is to make Sri Lankan youth the most dynamic in the world,” he also said.
