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Sri Lanka and local authorities: "Empower Her" - Advancing Girls' and Women's Rights through Education and Legal Access

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Empower Her is a nationwide initiative aimed at empowering women and girls across 25 districts in Sri Lanka by strengthening education, legal awareness, and participatory engagement. The program addresses gaps in rights knowledge, gender sensitivity, and access to justice, creating safe and inclusive spaces for active learning and community participation.

Implemented by Stichting Mission Lanka and funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Sri Lanka, the program engaged key stakeholders, including the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, United for Human Rights, Youth for Human Rights, Stop Ecocide International, local authorities, school leaders, legal professionals, and volunteers. Each district follows a three-part approach: Human Rights and Gender Sensitivity Sessions for schoolgirls, Legal and Human Rights Workshops for women, and District Legal Clinics providing legal aid and psychosocial support. The Human Rights Commission contributed expertise to ensure professional facilitation and accurate content.

The practice is developed in collaboration with the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, Divisional Secretariats, school administrations under the Ministry of Education at district level, and local government officials to facilitate programme delivery, participant selection, and venue coordination. local government officials have participated in selected sessions, strengthening institutional recognition and enhancing the sustainability of the initiative at grassroots level.Community stakeholders further reinforce the initiative’s impact and sustainability. Local government authorities, including Divisional Secretariats and Grama Niladharis, support coordination and ensure community-level access.

To date, over 5,000 schoolgirls and women have directly participated, with three districts completed and the remaining 22 planned for completion by January 2027. Evaluation through pre- and post-assessments, feedback surveys, and follow-up discussions, along with certificates of participation, has helped improve program delivery. The District Legal Clinics resolved individual cases, enhanced access to justice, and strengthened community trust.

By emphasizing inclusive participation, continuous feedback, and multi-stakeholder collaboration, Empower Her institutionalizes participatory spaces where women and girls are active contributors. The program strengthens local capacities, aligns with policies on gender equality and human rights, and provides a scalable framework for participatory democracy, empowerment, and rights-based civic engagement across Sri Lanka.

Learn more: www.stichtingmissionlanka.org 

https://www.oidp.net/docs/repo/doc1832.pdf 


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Sri Lanka and local authorities: "Empower Her" - Advancing Girls' and Women's Rights through Education and Legal Access

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