(COLOMBO) –
A Sri Lankan female left-leaning politician has called for the legislation of prostitution in order to ease the economic burden faced by woman and young girls in the country, it was reported by local media on Thursday.
Samanmalie Gunasinghe-a National Executive Member from the National People’s Power (NPP) however said that prostitution should only be an option if employment could not be provided to the young women.
“It will also bring an end to inhumane exploitation by errant employers who employ women and girls in sweat shops for a meager income while extracting maximum work”, she said.
The NPP presents prostitution as a single component of a broader issue in the Party’s program, she said.
The NPP currently has only three seats in the 225 State Assembly but recent polls shows that its popularity has soared across the country and is expected to gain momentum at the next election that must be held this year under the Constitution.
Earlier another outspoken female lawmaker Diana Gamage also endorsed the legislation of prostitution and other issues such as Cannabis and even illegal hooch.
She also called for wine shops, bars and restaurants to be kept open throughout the day if the cash-strapped island nation needs to boost its economy by tourism.
“One cannot embrace age-old culture one on hand and opt to live in the stone age while expecting development on the other”, Gamage described as a loose cannon in Parliament said.
She was also recently suspended from the House for alleged inappropriate behaviour along with two other lawmakers.