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Sri Lankan women call for stronger measures to protect their rights
Women leaders from four provinces in Sri Lanka have urged local government authorities to strengthen efforts to protect women, who have been affected by the country’s economic, political, and Covid-19 crisis this year.From March to September 2022, UN Women hosted a series of Multi-party Dialogues on Women, Peace and Security in nine districts to identify and discuss solutions to challenges faced by women there. Close to 200 persons including women leaders participated in the sessions, representing the North Central, Uva, Western, and Sabaragamuwa Provinces.
UN Women organised the first phase of the multi-party dialogues between 2018 and 2022 in 16 districts across five provinces in the country, which focused on strengthening women’s leadership and decision-making role within the peace and security landscape. The current phase of dialogues covered the country’s remaining four provinces and took place in the districts of Anuradhapura, Badulla, Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kegalle, Monaragala, Polonnaruwa, and Ratnapura.
Participants raised concerns about issues including a shortage of safe houses, lack of awareness about available services, and weak referral systems for survivors of violence. “Over the last few months, complaints on violence against women have drastically increased, and most of the time, these women have no place to go,” said one dialogue participant, a women’s development officer from the Ministry of Women and Child Development and Social Empowerment.
Another participant, a district coordinator from Gampaha District in the Western Province, said: “Because of the economic crisis, many garment factories are closing. Some women have worked in these factories for 20-plus years. On top of that, they are burdened with taking care of their families. As a result, they are unable to find new jobs.”
Ramaaya Salgado, Country Focal Point of UN Women Sri Lanka, said the multi-party dialogues aimed to gather a variety of stakeholders including women leaders, public sector officials, civil society organisations, youth leaders and the media “to collectively promote gender equality and women’s empowerment, and to ensure that there is no rollback of gains made over the years.”
In each of the dialogues, participants developed district-level ‘work plans’ in which they recommended that the local authorities:
Strengthen coordination between front-line government officials and civil society organisations to implement initiatives, on women, peace and security; allocate budgets and other provisions to establish safe houses for women in each district; carry out campaigns to educate rural women about public services such as legal aid and counselling for survivors of violence; provide gender sensitivity training for Police and other law enforcement officers; during the dialogue sessions, the participants also received training on the principles of women, peace and security, which calls for increased participation of women at all levels of decision-making and for ensuring that women and girls are not left behind in relief and recovery efforts.The dialogues are part of UN Women’s three-year programme on supporting the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Sri Lanka, which is funded by the Government of Japan.
During an operation conducted in the dark hours of 11 Mar 26, the Sri Lanka Navy seized an Indian fishing boat and apprehended 02 Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters, in the sea area North of Mannar.
The North Central Naval Command spotted a group of Indian fishing boats engaging in illegal fishing, trespassing into Sri Lankan waters. In response, naval craft of the North Central Naval Command were deployed to drive away those Indian fishing boats from island waters off Mannar.
The seized boat (01) and Indian fishermen (02) were handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Kilinochchi for onward legal proceedings.
The bodies of 84 Iranian sailors killed in a torpedo attack by a US submarine last week in the Indian Ocean are due to be flown home on Friday, Sri Lanka’s defence ministry has said.
The seamen were among 130 thought to be aboard the Iranian warship, the Iris Dena, when it was sunk on 4 March about 40km (25 miles) from Sri Lanka’s southern coastline.
A police escort transferred bodies to Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport on Friday morning for the repatriation to Iran, after they were stored in two freezers at Galle National Hospital.
Sri Lanka said 32 sailors rescued by its navy after the torpedo attack “will remain in Sri Lanka”, according to news agency AFP.
A magistrate in the Sri Lankan city of Galle ordered that the 84 bodies should be released to the Iranian embassy.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said shortly after the sinking that the Iranian warship had died a “quiet death”.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the US had “perpetrated an atrocity at sea, 2,000 miles away from Iran’s shores”, adding that “the US will come to bitterly regret precedent it has set”.
Video released by the US Department of Defense after the incident showed a ship being struck, causing the stern to rise up before exploding.
The Iris Dena had been returning from a military exercise hosted by India when it was attacked.
Its sinking in international waters came during the current US-Israeli war with Iran and marked a dramatic widening of the conflict.
Iran has since launched retaliatory strikes across the Middle East – targeting Gulf countries allied with the US.
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Safeguarding linguistic heritage is not only a cultural responsibility, but also a shared commitment to preserving the diversity of our world – PM
Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated as the Chief Guest in the special event organized to commemorate International Mother Languages Day 2026 on 13 March 2026 at the New Arts Theatre of the University of Colombo. The event was held under the theme ’Languages Unite: Diverse Voices, Shared Humanity’.
The event was jointly organized by the High Commission of Bangladesh and the Ministry of Education of Sri Lanka with the support of the United Nations, the Sri Lanka Scout Association, and the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association.
Certificates and awards were presented to school winners of the painting, essay, and short video creation competitions organized in conjunction with the celebration of International Mother Language Day 2026.
Addressing the occasion, the Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated:
“International Mother Language Day stands as a powerful reminder of the profound connection between language, identity, and dignity.
This global observance owes its origins to the visionary initiative of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s advocacy transformed a national commemoration into a global movement one that celebrates the rich mosaic of humanity’s linguistic heritage.
Sri Lanka’s language diversity reflects the richness of our pluralistic heritage. This diversity should not be seen as a challenge to be managed, but as a strength to be valued and cherished.
When we protect language rights, we nurture social harmony. When we promote multilingual education, we empower future generations. And when we listen to one another in our own languages, we affirm each other’s humanity. At a time when divisions can easily take root, respect for linguistic diversity can instead serve as a bridge of empathy and cooperation.
In an increasingly digital age, we must also reflect on the importance of preserving linguistic diversity in cyberspace. Thousands of languages around the world remain vulnerable. Without conscious efforts in education, technology, and policy, many risk fading into silence. Safeguarding linguistic heritage is therefore not only a cultural responsibility, but also a shared commitment to preserving the diversity of our world”.
The Prime Minister remarked that the partnership between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh continues to grow in friendship and cooperation with the shared commitment to multilateralism, cultural understanding, and people-to-people engagement strengthens the bonds between the two nations.
The event was attended by the Bangladesh High Commissioner, Andalib Elias, Deputy Speaker Dr. Rizvie Salih, Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri, FAO Country Representative for Sri Lanka and Maldives Vimlendra Sharan, Chief Commissioner of the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association Dr. Kushantha Herath, diplomatic crops, members of the Sri Lanka Scout Association, and the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association and students.
[Prime Minister’s media division]
Navy seizes an Indian fishing boat poaching in Mannar seas
Bodies of 84 Iranian sailors killed in US torpedo strike to be repatriated
Four crew members killed after US refuelling plane crashes in Iraq
Safeguarding linguistic heritage is not only a cultural responsibility, but also a shared commitment to preserving the diversity of our world – PM
This is not an ordinary scholarship programme. It defines the future vision of our country – PM
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