News
Addressing gender-based violence in disasters and emergency situations
Launch of handbook on Gender, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Disasters
With the commemoration of World Humanitarian Day today, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) with the technical assistance of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Sri Lanka, and the financial support of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia (DFAT) launches the first Handbook on Gender, Sexual and Gender Based Violence in Disasters.
The handbook provides practical guidance to policymakers, response staff of the Disaster Management Centre and community groups, to plan, coordinate, implement, monitor and evaluate essential actions for a gender equitable disaster response. The book contributes to the implementation of the Policy Framework and National Plan of Action to address Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV) in Sri Lanka, initiated by the Ministry of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment.
The Handbook was developed through a series of consultations with key Government stakeholders and other development partners to better inform decision-making to ensure we leave no one behind. Mr. Kunle Adeniyi, Representative for Sri Lanka, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), expressing his views on the launch “The current socio-economic crisis in Sri Lanka has negatively impacted social and gender equality. Even before the crisis, Sri Lanka had a high rate of gender-based violence and past studies indicate that there is an increasing risk of GBV during crisis situations. So now more than ever, we must work together to strengthen our knowledge and skills on GBV coordination as gender equality and protection from further vulnerability and harm is a central responsibility of humanitarian action.”
Maj. Gen. Sudantha Ranasinghe, Director General, Disaster Management Centre, highlighted the importance of integrating the prevention of GBV in disaster management “Gender equality and empowerment of women and girls are at the very core of the principle of effective disaster response. It is our primary duty to understand the specific needs, capacities and priorities of women and girls, boys and men and integrate this understanding throughout the disaster management programme cycle. As the leading agency for disaster management in Sri Lanka, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) is mandated with the responsibility of implementing and coordinating national and sub-national level programmes, for reducing the risk of disasters with the participation of all relevant stakeholders. The handbook on “Gender, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Disasters”, is an important and useful resource, which will help the stakeholders involved in managing disasters to build on their commitments to gender equality and on women and girls in humanitarian action, with the aim of delivering more effective, rights-based programming.”
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated in a high-level dialogue titled “Tourism as Soft Power and Diplomatic Capital” held at the Euronews Hub, Piz Buin Davos, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum on January 20.
The session explored how tourism functions as a strategic instrument of diplomacy by strengthening international trust, cultural exchange, and regional cooperation through mobility and people-to-people engagement. The Prime Minister shared the panel with Mr. Kuban Omiraliyev, Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States and Mr. Meshari Alnahar – CEO Aseer Investment Company, Saudi Arabia.
Addressing global trends, the Prime Minister emphasized that Sri Lanka is an example of hope, recovery and resilience in a world of conflict demonstrating how tourism can play a critical role in a changing global environment particularly amid climate shocks, geopolitical instability, and uneven economic recovery. She noted that tourism is not only an economic sector but also a vital diplomatic bridge that supports livelihoods, builds relationships and connects people.
Drawing on Sri Lanka’s recent experience, she highlighted the country’s strong tourism recovery despite multiple crises, including the impact of Cyclone Ditwah. Transparent crisis management and strategic engagement with international partners helped sustain visitor confidence, resulting in record tourist arrivals even in challenging circumstances.
The Prime Minister also underscored the importance of green and climate friendly tourism infrastructure and underlined that Sri Lanka welcomes long term investment in tourism. She pointed out that tourism supports millions of jobs worldwide and that inclusive policies are essential to ensure fair opportunities, particularly for women and vulnerable communities.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
During an operation conducted in the dark hours of 20 Jan 26, the Sri Lanka Navy seized two (02) Indian fishing boats and apprehended seven (07) Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters, off Kovilan, Jaffna.
The seized boats and Indian fishermen was to be handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Myliddy, Jaffna for onward legal proceedings.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated in a series of high-level bilateral meetings on January 20 on the sidelines of the 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.
The Prime Minister attended a productive bilateral meeting with Mr. Jozef Síkela, European Commissioner for International Partnerships. During the discussion, both sides focused on strengthening Sri Lanka–EU cooperation and advancing mutual interests.
Prime Minister Amarasuriya also met with Mr. Masato Kanda, President and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), at the WEF Congress Centre. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss ongoing engagement and future collaboration between Sri Lanka and the ADB.
In addition, the Prime Minister held discussions with Mr. Hassan El Houry, Chairman of Menzies Aviation, where opportunities for collaboration in aviation services and connectivity were explored.
The Prime Minister also participated in a high-level dialogue at the Global Tourism Forum held at the Euronews Hub, Piz Buin, Davos, as part of the World Economic Forum engagements.
Dr. Anil Jayantha, Minister of Labour, and the Deputy Minister of Finance were also present at these meetings.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
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