Sri Lanka rejects law reform that would have allowed women to buy alcohol

Sri Lanka has rejected a law reform that would have allowed women the same rights to buy alcohol as men.

President Maithripala Sirisena informed a rally on Sunday that the government would be withdrawing the reform which would allow women the same privileges as men to buy alcohol and work in bars without a permit.

He said that he would be revoking the decision made by the finance minister to lift the four-decade-long alcohol ban despite an announcement last week.

The reform would have also changed the current law which forbids alcohol from being sold between 9am and 9pm. It would have extended the hours to 8am to 10am.

However, President Maithripala Sirisena who runs an anti-alcohol campaign, informed the rally that he had ordered the government to withdraw its notification announcing the withdrawl of the ban.

Many people in Sri Lanka have accused the President of hypocrisy as he previously appeared to be an advocate for women’s rights. Last year he encouraged women to play a more active part in politics.

Men and women took to Twitter to comment on his decision on the alcohol issue on Sunday.

Snehitha Avirneni described the ban as “unbelievably regressive”.​

Ajitha Menon said that the move brought the country “back to square one”.

Another person said: “And for anyone preparing to mock Sri Lankan women’s outrage at being officially prohibited from buying alcohol, check your analysis. This is not just about this archaic sexist law but the archaic sexist system in which this law is just one more tool of control.”

Some commentators have said that the move to reinstate the ban just days after it was lifted suggest that there are differences within the coalition government.