Colombo: Sri Lankan women of 18 years and above can now legally buy alcohol for the first time in more than 60 years. The government said that it was amending a 1955 law which was deemed discriminatory against women. The amendment also means that women will be permitted without prior approval to work in places that sell alcohol.
While the previous law was not always strictly enforced, many Sri Lankan women have welcomed the change. Women took to social media to thank the government for its decision, which was announced by Sri Lanka's Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera. Under the new law, women will no longer require the approval of the state's excise commissioner in order to work or drink "in licensed premises", including restaurants.
While the move has been widely welcomed, some argue that it might lead to more women becoming addicted to alcohol. In Sri Lanka, a majority of women traditionally choose not to drink alcohol as they see it as against Sri Lankan culture. However in 2016, Sri President Maithripala Sirisena, who runs an anti-alcohol campaign in the country, said that alcohol consumption among Lankan women had increased "drastically" in recent years.
"We all are aware that drug abuse has become a pressing national issue," he said at the time.
