Sri Lanka, May 11 -- In the past two decades, the labour force and the number of employed in Sri Lanka have shown steady growth, but the overall labour force participation and employment rates have reduced said an expert in the construction industry and the role of women in the workforce.

"Low labour force participation can be attributed to demographic changes, mainly the reduction of 70 percent of Sri Lankan married women with at least one child under five are not in the labour market and spend their time in housework," said Emeritus Professor and Chartered Architect and Chartered Quantity Surveyor Chitra Weddikkara.

According to her, for urban mothers with at least one child under the age of five, this rate is about 75 percent, and fo...