COLOMBO: Sri Lanka has lifted a 38-year ban on women buying alcohol and working in places where alcoholic drinks are produced and sold.
Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera signed the notification revoking the ban to restore gender equality and promote tourism, a government statement said.
The ban had been in force since 1979, the early years of Sri Lanka embracing an open market economy.
The government also decided to allow liquor outlets to stay open an hour later, until 10pm.
Under the old regulations, women were required to obtain the approval of a state excise commissioner to work in "licensed premises", including restaurants. But enforcement has been weak, the BBC reported.
Many women refrain from drinking due to cultural and religious norms in Sri Lanka, which is predominantly Buddhist. Michele Ruth Gamburd, a researcher in Sri Lanka, told Voice of America: "When I asked why women do not drink, often Buddhism was raised as a reason."
Following the announcement, some took to social media to ask whether the change might lead to more women becoming addicted to alcohol, while others thanked the government for its decision.
President Maithripala Sirisena said in April that the government's programme to reduce alcohol and tobacco consumption had been successful as revenue from tobacco and liquor taxes had gone down for the first time in history.