Business

UNDP, together with partners, brings together immersive insight into the cruel realities of SGBV

Published

4 months ago

2025/12/11

UNDP 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence held at the Sri Lanka Foundation.

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is a global campaign observed annually from 25 November to 10 December, beginning on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and concluding on Human Rights Day. The campaign aims to raise awareness and inspire collective action to end all forms of violence against women and girls.

This year, in line with this, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), together with its key partners through ongoing flagship project initiatives, is taking a unique, never-before-seen approach to advocacy. ‘Through Her Eyes,

wef.aoEiska, அவளின் பார்வையில்’ narrates the heart-wrenching journey of ‘Sara’ in her search for justice through multi-medium storytelling that merges stage theatre, film and creative audio production techniques.

‘Through her eyes’ is in line with three UNDP Sri Lanka projects; Enabling Access to Justice for Victim-Survivors of SGBV in Sri Lanka funded by the Government of Canada and implemented together with UNFPA Sri Lanka; the Support to Justice Sector Project (JURE) funded by the European Union in partnership with the Ministry of Justice, and implemented together with UNICEF Sri Lanka; and the Action and Anticipation for The New Agenda for Peace (AAA) supported through UNDP’s Funding Windows with funding from the Governments of Denmark, Luxembourg and the Republic of Korea.

Commenting on the timeliness of such public activations, Azusa Kubota, Resident Representative, UNDP in Sri Lanka, stated, “As the country recovers from one of its worst natural disasters in its recent history, the focus on gender equality, inclusion, and structural change is more vital than ever. We all know SGBV leaves a deep scar in survivors, those around them and the society they live in. Yet, do we really know what it is like to live through that experience? In a crisis, how do we address root causes of SGBV that get exacerbated? We wanted to mark this year’s 16 days differently – by creating an experience where we, irrespective of our gender, culture, and all other differences, put ourselves in the shoes of those who live through the pain and hardships, and collectively think through ways in which we can tackle persistent challenges confronted by many. Our advocacy efforts aspire towards a nation and world free from SGBV- to achieve gender equality and empower. ‘Through Her eyes’ is a unique experience that is designed to bring this issue in front of a broad demographic audience, by bringing together stakeholders from across the Government, private sector, development partners, youth and CSOs, as we stand together to end SGBV and support Sri Lanka to build back better.”

Sharing the perspective from the Government of Sri Lanka, Minister of Justice Harshana Nanayakkara commented, “Through Her Eyes’ invites us to pause and truly understand the lived realities of survivors. It is a powerful reminder that every survivor who comes forward does so with immense courage. Their pathway to justice must be dignified, safe and free from fear. Ensuring the safety and empowerment of women and girls is not a task that can be achieved in isolation. A holistic approach is vital. Law enforcement, the judiciary, health services, social services, educators, civil society, the private sector and communities must stand together as allies.”

As a key partner, Kiril Iordanov, Head of Cooperation at the High Commission of Canada noted, “Addressing GBV is a shared responsibility. Canada continues to collaborate with partners to design and champion innovative solutions. Our approach is rooted in the belief that promoting gender equality and empowering women and girls has a multiplier effect on development. By placing women and girls at the centre, we contribute to building a more peaceful, inclusive, and prosperous world.”

The Safe Space of this immersive production also highlights the support and work being carried out by the projects, to support better access for justice for victim-survivors of SGBV, capacity building for relevant public sector institutions, media ethics when reporting SGBV and the promotion of male allyship and bystander intervention as a mechanism to eradicate SGBV in Sri Lanka.

Highlighting the priorities of the European Union, Carmen Moreno, Ambassador of the European Union to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, commented, “Gender-based violence endures when access to justice is made difficult by fear, stigma or indifference. This exhibition invites us to understand the experience through the eyes of the victim, and it forces us to question—and dismantle—the barriers that allow violence to continue without consequences. Justice systems Justice systems must act with determination in confronting this problem, but they cannot do so in isolation. Real change requires a society that supports women, recognises the realities of gender-based violence, and refuses to look away.”

In light of the current situation of the country, the event also hosted an interactive dialogue on the theme ‘Delivering Economic Independence for Survivors of Sexual and Gender-based Violence during Crises’ on the sidelines of the event. With participation from key individuals, including the Government, development partners, private sector leaders, civil society organisations and youth groups, the dialogue looked at key areas of Gender-responsive and intersectional crisis planning; protection, safety, and justice built into disaster preparedness and humanitarian response; safeguarding shelter design, ensuring access to health and reproductive services, psychosocial support, and safe reporting mechanisms.

The campaign aims to raise awareness and inspire collective action to end all forms of violence against women and girls. It calls on governments, organisations, and individuals to challenge harmful gender norms, support survivors, and demand accountability from perpetrators.

‘Through Her Eyes, wef.aoEiska, அவளின் பார்வையில்’ is open to the public from the 2nd to 7th of December from 10 AM to 7 PM at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute.

To know more and engage in the immersive experience: https://go.undp.org/through-her-eyes

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Business

Oil tops $116 a barrel as Iran accuses US of preparing invasion

Published

7 hours ago

2026/03/30

Priyan

A worker collects engine oil as he works at a degassing station in the Zubair oilfield near Basra, Iraq, on March 28, 2026 [Aljazeera]

Oil prices have surged to their highest level in nearly two weeks amid escalation on multiple fronts of the US-Israel war on Iran.

Brent crude, the global benchmark, rose more than 3 percent on Monday morning to top $116 a barrel.

The latest climb took the global benchmark to its highest point since March 19, when it briefly touched $119 a barrel.

The surge came after Iran said it was prepared for a US ground invasion, with the speaker of the country’s parliament warning that Tehran was waiting for the arrival of US troops to “set them on fire” and “punish” their regional allies.

Tehran’s warning came as the conflict deepened over the weekend, with the Iranian-backed Houthis launching missiles at Israel for the first time in the war, and Israel expanding its invasion of southern Lebanon.

Asia’s main stock indexes fell sharply in morning trading, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 and South Korea’s KOSPI both down more than 4 percent as of 1:30 GMT.

Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for the US-Israel war has disrupted about one-fifth of global oil and liquified natural gas (LNG) supplies, plunging the world into its biggest energy crisis in decades.

Oil prices have risen nearly 60 percent since the start of the war, driving up fuel prices worldwide and forcing numerous countries to adopt emergency measures to conserve energy.

Analysts have warned that oil prices are likely to keep rising unless maritime traffic returns to normal levels in the strait.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to “obliterate” Iran’s energy infrastructure if Tehran does not relinquish its stranglehold on the waterway by a deadline of April 6.

Trump, who on Thursday extended his deadline by 10 days, has proposed a 15-point plan for ending the war with Iran and insisted that the two sides are making progress towards a deal in indirect talks being mediated by Pakistan.

Tehran has flatly rejected Trump’s plan and proposed its own terms for a ceasefire, including war reparations and recognition of Iran’s right to control the strait.

Greg Newman, CEO of Onyx Capital Group, which began as an oil derivatives trading house, said energy consumers were only beginning to feel the true fallout of the turmoil.

“Physical oil moves around the world in loading cycles, and Europe has taken around three weeks to really start feeling the effects of the oil shortage,” Newman told Al Jazeera.

“Brent is starting to reflect the reality, and we think it’s a steady rise from here towards $120 and beyond.”

Newman said the scale of the disruption had yet to be fully appreciated.

“No one in the market has ever seen the outages we are now suffering from – physical premiums are the highest ever. There is still a sense that the macro world is not taking this seriously enough, but it is worse than anything that has come before it,” he said.

“The reality will come out in the economic numbers over the coming months.”

While Iran has been allowing a growing number of transits by ships that are not aligned with the US or Israel, traffic remains a fraction of pre-war levels.

On Saturday, Pakistani Minister of Foreign Affairs Ishaq Dar announced that Tehran had agreed to allow 20 Pakistani-flagged vessels to pass the strait in what he described as a “meaningful step toward peace”.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said last week that Iran had granted an unspecified number of Malaysian vessels permission to clear the strait.

Seven non-Iranian vessels passed the strait on Thursday, up from five on Wednesday and four on Tuesday, according to maritime intelligence firm Windward.

Before the start of the war on February 28, the strait saw an average of 120 daily transits, according to Windward.

[Aljazeera]

Business

SLT-MOBITEL turnaround signals new era for SOEs, says deputy minister

Published

9 hours ago

2026/03/30

Thilina Walpola

The panel discussion led by Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eng. Eranga Weeraratne (centre) with SLT MOBITEL’s top management Pic by Nishan S. Priyantha

The era of privatising loss-making state-owned enterprises may be drawing to a close, with SLT-MOBITEL emerging as proof that strategic management can deliver profitability without a change in ownership, Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eng. Eranga Weeraratne said.

“There was a massive public outcry asking the previous governments to sell the loss-making state-owned enterprises. Now it is not there as it was used to be heard,” Weeraratne said. “SLT-MOBITEL has proven that the proper management strategy can turn any loss-making SOE into profit. Gone are the days we heard ‘sell, sell, sell’.”

The remarks came as Sri Lanka’s national ICT provider reported a decisive financial turnaround in FY 2025, driven by disciplined cost management, operational efficiency, and steady growth across fixed and mobile businesses.

The company has simultaneously rolled out a pioneering 24/7 operational model – the industry’s first – with 14 Outside Plant Maintenance Centres operating round-the-clock in metro areas, Kandy, and Jaffna to ensure uninterrupted connectivity.

“Our strong financial results reflect the resilience of SLT-MOBITEL and the trust customers place in us,” said Dr. Mothilal de Silva, Chairman, SLT Group. “With the roll-out of the 24/7 OPMC operations, we are raising the bar for service reliability.”

SLT-MOBITEL has also made 5G publicly available in Sri Lanka and continues to support the Ministry of Digital Economy with secure data centre infrastructure, reinforcing its role as a catalyst of national development.

By Sanath Nanayakkare

Business

Kia Tasman arrives in Sri Lanka: A pickup built for work and comfort

Published

9 hours ago

2026/03/30

Thilina Walpola

Kia Motors Lanka has launched the all-new Kia Tasman, the brand’s first-ever pickup truck – engineered to redefine the double cab segment by combining rugged capability with SUV-like refinement.

Built on a robust body-on-frame platform, the Tasman offers best-in-class strength with a payload capacity of 1,151kg, towing up to 3,500kg, and water wading up to 800mm. Advanced 4WD systems and terrain modes ensure unmatched off-road performance.

Inside, the cabin surprises with best-in-class rear legroom, sliding and reclining rear seats – a segment-first – and a panoramic display with premium Harman Kardon sound.

“This is a vehicle conceived without compromise,” said Kia Motors Lanka Chairman Mahen Thambiah. “For customers who demand durability, capability, and everyday comfort, the Tasman delivers on every front.”