UN Women Sri Lanka today declared open සමதீவு (SamaTheevu), a public installation that brings to life a vision of a gender-equal world – a goal that remains urgent and achievable with collective action.   

According to the organization, the installation is open to the public from 06-12 March from 9:00 am – 8:00 pm at the Lionel Wendt, Art Centre, in Colombo 07.  

The launch of සමதீவு aligns with International Women’s Day and the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action – recognized as the most comprehensive and visionary blueprint for achieving gender equality and advancing women’s rights.   

Sri Lanka has long demonstrated its commitment to gender equality. In 1981 Sri Lanka ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) reinforcing its commitment to protecting the rights of women and girls. Building on this, in 1995, Sri Lanka joined 189 other countries in adopting the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action at the Fourth World Conference on Women.  

Despite some progress, women’s labour force participation in Sri Lanka has stagnated and regressed between 2020 and 2025. The proportion of women in parliament has remained below 10% in the 77 years since Sri Lanka’s independence and 24% of women have experienced physical or sexual violence by their intimate partner. In 2006, Sri Lanka took 13th place in closing the gender gap, whereas in 2024, it stood at 122nd place.  

Speaking on this at the launch event, Deputy Minister of Women and Child Affairs, Dr. Namal Sudarshana said: “While progress has been made since 1995, we know that the status of Sri Lankan women has stagnated against several indicators on gender equality, owing to multiple crises. The 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration this year is a pivotal moment, and the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs remains committed to protecting the rights of women and advancing gender equality in the country”. 

Emphasizing on collective action to accelerate progress on gender equality, Marc-André Franche, Resident Coordinator of the UN in Sri Lanka highlighted: “As Sri Lanka’s obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women were recently reviewed, this is a pivotal moment for the country to assess progress, identify gaps, and most importantly accelerate actions to meet its commitments on gender equality and women’s empowerment. The UN in Sri Lanka remains committed to supporting Sri Lanka in this journey”. 

The interactive installation offers visitors a glimpse into an island where everyone, regardless of gender has equal rights and opportunities in all aspects of life. It serves as a powerful reminder that gender equality is not only a fundamental human right but also a driver of social and economic progress. It also serves as a rallying call for all sectors of society to contribute to a future where every individual can thrive without discrimination. 

As Sri Lankan women activists were a key part of shaping the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, Emeritus Professor of Law, Savitri Goonesekere who attended the Beijing Conference in 1995 said: “Celebrating 30 years since the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action is surely a time to reflect on past developments relating to gender equality and to address new realities – including the challenges of IT, cybercrimes, and AI – in formulating a new path to eliminate discrimination against women. The reality of discrimination and denial of life chances in our country and community requires activists and women’s groups to also understand past developments, trends, failures, gaps, and limitations as they formulate new interventions to realize gender equality.”

“At UN Women, our goal is to uphold human rights and sustainable development for all”, said Ramaaya Salgado, Head of Office at UN Women Sri Lanka. “Global data shows us that societies where everyone – regardless of gender – is equally valued, given equal opportunities, and supported by just institutions – will flourish, and achieving these goals requires collective efforts”. 

SamaTheevu serves as a rallying call to inspire action to advance women’s rights and gender equality by challenging all forms of violence, discrimination and exploitation; while fostering empowerment to ensure inclusive access to education, employment, leadership, and decision-making spaces. (Newswire)

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The Government of Japan and UN Women have launched the project “Pathways to Peace” aimed at strengthening women’s economic empowerment and their leadership in peacebuilding and conflict prevention in Sri Lanka. 

According to UN Women, this project aims to support the implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) which the Government of Japan has been assisting Sri Lanka with since 2018 as its partner country.

In February 2023, Sri Lanka adopted its first NAP on WPS, in keeping with its international obligations under UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000). The development of this Plan was led by Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Women, Child Affairs, and Social Empowerment, with technical support from UN Women and with funding from the Government of Japan.

Building on the successful adoption of the Plan, the project aims to create stronger pathways to peace by implementing its priority areas. This includes providing capacity-building support to 500 women peacebuilders, enabling them to lead dispute resolution, mediation and peacebuilding, along with social norms and behaviour change programmes at the household and community levels to promote gender equality and social harmony.

The project will also support 500 women-led micro-enterprises in former conflict-affected areas and provide support to vulnerable groups including women heads of households and women with disabilities who have been impacted by the country’s socio-economic crisis. 

“Japan has been a longstanding partner of UN Women in advancing the women, peace and security agenda in Sri Lanka. Our programmes have led to meaningful change in the lives of women, and we look forward to continuing this partnership to empower Sri Lankan women to become leaders of change,” said Ramaaya Salgado, Head of Office at UN Women Sri Lanka.

The project will be implemented in the Districts of Anuradhapura, Batticaloa, Mannar and Mullaitivu. (Newswire)

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UN Women and Chrysalis with funding from the Government of Japan have provided productive assets worth Rs. 110 million to 600 women-led micro-enterprises to help expand their businesses. 

UN Women said in a statement that this initiative was undertaken as part of a larger 1-year project ‘Empowering Women in Crisis’ running from February 2023. 

Through this project, UN Women and implementing partner Chrysalis have provided humanitarian assistance for women most affected by the socioeconomic crisis in Sri Lanka – in close collaboration with the Ministry of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment.

Speaking at an event held in Battaramulla, MIZUKOSHI Hideaki, Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka stated: “The Embassy of Japan is pleased to have supported this tremendous initiative which is being carried out in 5 Districts in Sri Lanka and we look forward to continuing this partnership with UN Women to support women’s economic empowerment in the country”.

In light of soaring food inflation and rising cost of living, the entrepreneurs further received provisions to support their daily needs, thus enabling them to allocate more resources towards their business ventures.

Also addressing the event, Sarah Knibbs, Deputy Regional Director, UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific highlighted: “As part of this project funded by the Government of Japan, we have provided 600 women-led micro-enterprises with advanced training on business development including the introduction to digital tools and resources to better market their products”.

Through the project, the entrepreneurs received comprehensive training ranging from product ideation to financial literacy and were introduced to new tools such as digital marketing to expand their businesses.

“Taking part in UN Women’s training opened a world of possibilities for me. I learned about social media platforms and their potential for online business operations. With the help of my children, I now manage my own social media page, leveraging platforms like Facebook and YouTube to showcase my products. This helped me solve the issue of dwindling demand as I reached a lot more customers in a shorter time”, said Tharsan Vaksala (32), an entrepreneur and participant of the programme, from Kanakarayankulam in the Northern Province.

The project supports women-led micro-enterprises in the Districts of Ampara, Colombo, Moneragala, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya. (NewsWire)

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“In our society, there is a belief that domestic violence should be kept behind closed doors and not discussed openly”, says Anoja Makawita, a social worker and counsellor at Women in Need (WIN).

“Violence within families has far-reaching consequences, and it is women and girls who suffer the most”, she said. “It is not just an issue within individual households; it has an impact on entire communities.”

Makawita was part of the group that founded WIN in 1987, and the organization has worked ever since to provide survivors of gender-based violence with legal aid, counseling, and even housing support.

One in five Sri Lankan women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner according to a 2019 survey. Nearly half of the women who experienced sexual violence by a partner did not seek formal help due to shame, embarrassment, fear of being blamed or not being believed, or thinking the violence was normal or not serious enough to seek help.

UN Women’s Empowering Women in Crisis project, funded by the government of Japan, has provided relief and support to 11 women’s shelters throughout Sri Lanka, including those run by WIN.

“Helping these women reintegrate into society is however one of the most challenging aspects of our work”, Makawita said, noting that many women who escape domestic violence are unable to return to their old home or afford to rent a new one. WIN works with such women to connect with other organizations and find housing for up to six months, during which time they can seek employment. 

WIN is not the only organization in Sri Lanka devoted to helping survivors of gender-based violence. In the country’s North Central province, the Association for Women with Disabilities, or AKASA, operates as a network of self-help groups dedicated to creating opportunities and empowering women to live with dignity and independence.

The organization’s safe house in the town of Thalawa specializes in helping women and girls with disabilities who have faced abuse.

AKASA Chairperson N.G. Kamalawathie described the case of a 21-year-old woman who suffers from a disability in her spine. She identified her as Lilanthi, a pseudonym, and told how she found peace at AKASA after many years of struggle. 

After being abused by her mother’s husband and his friend as a child, Lilanthi went to the police. Authorities arrested her abusers, and then placed Lilanthi in an orphanage. She was forced to leave that facility at 18, but could not find a stable home—until she finally found AKASA.

“I am so happy to see the women in this house improving day-by-day, working towards a sense of normalcy in life, and we always support them with whatever guidance they need”, Kamalawathie said.

Another organization, the Jaffna Social Action Centre (JSAC), supports women and children in Sri Lanka’s Northern province. Run by Nadarajah Sukirtharaj, JSAC has developed a host of programming for survivors of violence. 

“When we first started JSAC, our community was largely unaware of the significance of safe houses for survivors of violence”, Sukirtharaj said. “To address this, we initiated several awareness programmes and even established women’s groups in villages to spread the word. We have seen a shift in perception since then.”

JSAC has similarly received support through the Empowering Women in Crisis project.

“I must express my deep appreciation for the invaluable support provided by UN Women”, said Sukirtharaj. Founded in 2003, JSAC now operates across eight districts in Sri Lanka.

Makawita, of WIN, echoed Sukirtharaj’s message. 

“Although we provide legal and counseling support, we often need assistance in helping these women find jobs or providing self-employment opportunities”, she said. “I want to express my deep gratitude to UN Women for their invaluable support, especially during times of economic hardship.”

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