UNFPA Sri Lanka Annual Report 2022

MESSAGE FROM THE REPRESENTATIVE

The year 2022 tested Sri Lanka and its people like never before, with an unparalleled economic and political crisis. But despite these challenges, UNFPA Sri Lanka stood strong, with an unwavering
dedication to serve those most impacted by the crisis: women, young people and marginalized groups left behind.

As a key partner to the Government of Sri Lanka, we focused on effecting policy change, system strengthening and community mobilization while strengthening service delivery and data generation in crucial areas such as family planning, maternal health, and gender-based violence response across the humanitarian, peace and development nexus. We launched a humanitarian appeal and mobilized over US$10 million to provide emergency medicines, commodities, and obstetric care to pregnant women, as well as protection and response services to women and girls at risk of violence.

But UNFPA Sri Lanka’s efforts didn’t stop there. To accelerate progress towards gender equality and women’s empowerment in line with the three transformative goals, we also provided technical support for the drafting of the policy and bill on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment and the draft Bill on the National Commission on Women.

In addition, we empowered youth as change agents, worked to integrate sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence services, and provided comprehensive sexuality education to improve access to accurate information among adolescents. And as the lead data agency, UNICEF Sri Lanka enabled dissemination of high-quality data on population and socioeconomic indicators and published the National Transfer Account Analysis Report, highlighting the invaluable contributions of women in the economy.

As the crisis continued to evolve, UNFPA Sri Lanka recognized the need for innovation and agility. We worked tirelessly to reengineer our approach, paving the way for a new five-year Country Programme (2023 to 2027) that integrates the effects of megatrends like aging and climate change. With a focus on evidence generation, innovation, digitalization, and partnerships as accelerators for impact, UNFPA Sri Lanka is committed to achieving the three transformative results: zero unmet need for family planning, zero gender-based violence and zero preventable maternal deaths.

In the face of unprecedented challenges, UNFPA Sri Lanka’s results in 2022 and undaunted resilience stand testament to the power of commitment and collaboration in driving future progress.

Kunle Adeniyi
UNFPA Representative, Sri Lanka

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Rights, choices and pregnancy

Our Work

© UNFPA Sri Lanka

Rights, choices and pregnancy

In 2022, UNFPA Sri Lanka doubled down on its commitment to strengthen health systems, particularily to ensure that women and young people have access to a diverse array of sexual and reproductive health services. With a particular focus on voluntary family planning, maternal health care, well woman services and youth-friendly health services, UNFPA was determined to support and empower vulnerable Sri Lankans though the transformative power of health. 

At the heart of gender equality and women's empowerment lies family planning – an indispensable tool in combating poverty and uplifting communities. Through targeted programmes that honed the skills of health workers in low-performing districts, UNFPA Sri Lanka sought to eradicate the unmet need for family planning, bringing the country one step closer to achieving its Family Planning 2030 commitments. By initiating policy dialogues and engaging in constructive conversations, UNFPA also helped to elevate the status of family planning, paving the way for a brighter, healthier future.

Recognizing the importance of improving access to reproductive health services for all, UNFPA worked to make comprehensive sexuality education more accessible, especially to marginalized young people.  By addressing the unmet need for family planning, reducing teenage pregnancies and empowering adolescent girls and boys with knowledge and skills through comprehensive sexuality education, UNFPA made an invaluable contribution to the lives of young Sri Lankans.

In six districts, UNFPA trained more than 500 teachers to relay reliable comprehensive sexuality education and life skills to adolescents in schools. Teacher training and teacher educator training modules were developed with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, and the National Institute of Education.   

Harmful social norms and the lack of accurate information often stand in the way of women and girls accessing vital services. That’s why in 2022 UNFPA focused on raising awareness and educating people about family planning, healthy spacing, sub-fertility, and teenage pregnancy through campaigns that shone a light on these critical issues. 

Finally, UNFPA supported 34 centres to provide adolescent- and youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services, built the capacities of service providers, and addressed issues with law enforcement officials to create an enabling an environment for young people to access services without stigma and discrimination.

12.7 million

People reached through a nationwide mass media campaign on family planning

12.7 million

1,288

Healthcare workers trained in quality services

1,288

335

Police officers were trained on access to health and legal services, rights, and protection of young people

335

554

Teachers from 6 districts trained in comprehensive sexuality education

554

5,827

Young people were reached through 34 adolescent and youth-friendly centers

5,827

50

Youth trained on social cohesion and sexual and reproductive health and rights

50

70

men who have sex with men, transgender sex workers, and other key populations were trained on condom micro skills to prevent sexually transmitted infections

70

A mother’s health in safe hands

Maternal health services are not just vital, but truly life-saving. In 2022, UNFPA continued to bolster the health system to deliver quality maternal and child health services, ensuring no woman or adolescent girl dies from preventable pregnancy or childbirth-related causes. By empowering women and girls to make informed choices about family planning, UNFPA is able to safeguard healthy pregnancies and protect the rights of all females in Sri Lanka. For this, UNFPA established mobile and outreach clinics that cater to the specific health needs of women and girls in hard-to-reach areas, especially in the plantation sector and among factory workers. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, UNFPA provided personal protective equipment to health workers to ensure uninterrupted services in maternal and child health, family planning, sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence response.

With UNFPA’s support, Sri Lanka achieved full implementation of its commitment to the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis. At the centre of UNFPA’s mission to end preventable maternal deaths lies the goal of improving both the quality and accessibility of maternal health services. To achieve this, UNFPA worked with health workers involved in maternal and child health, family planning, cancer prevention, and HIV and youth programmes, providing training on improving service quality and promoting better accountability, especially through feedback mechanisms. 

UNFPA also worked closely with the justice and legal system to protect and uphold the rights of survivors and young people, especially transgender sex workers, people living with HIV or those in prison. This helped to address the stigma and discrimination key populations face while trying to access health care, education, employment, and legal services. UNFPA also built knowledge and skills on condom micro skills among key populations and peer educators, safeguarding them from sexually transmitted illnesses.

38,000 health workers

received Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to prevent Covid-19 infection

38,000 health workers

50,000 women and girls

reached with lifesaving maternal health and family planning medicines and commodities

50,000 women and girls

6,304 women and girls

benefitted through mobile outreach clinics

6,304 women and girls

Safer societies for women and girls

Gender-based violence is a pervasive human rights violation and a pressing public health concern. 

In 2022, UNFPA continued to work with social, justice and health systems to prevent and respond to gender-based violence. These efforts culminated in landmark achievements, including the development of the first-ever National Policy on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, the draft Bill on the National Commission on Women, and bills on gender equality. 

UNFPA went further, initiating a gender-based violence information management system to strengthen evidence-based services for victims across 10 districts. Police officers in the health, social, legal and justice sectors were trained on multi-sectoral coordination for prevention and response to gender-based violence.

Improving protection services for survivors of gender-based violence has been a key feature of UNFPA’s work in Sri Lanka. Informed by the evidence from the National Shelter Assessment conducted in 2021, standard operating procedures were developed for UNFPA-supported shelters. 

Additionally, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, UNFPA began developing the next iteration of the National Action Plan on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. This initiative included consultations with stakeholders in eight provinces and active civil society engagement. Furthermore, a UNFPA-supported national media campaign, which raised awareness of available helplines and strove to improve help-seeking behaviour, reached over 12 million people and saw a doubling of calls for help. 

Collaborating with Colombo Fashion Week and designer Amilani Perera, UNFPA focused on addressing gender-based violence in a sector where human rights violations often go unseen, unaddressed, and unchecked. Through the initiative, the designer worked with UNFPA to empower survivors through craft skills training and marketability coaching, as well training on the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse for those within the industry.

Handbook on gender and gender-based violence

launched in collaboration with the Disaster Management Centre and Ministry of Women

Handbook on gender and gender-based violence

12 million

people reached through media campaigns on help-seeking behavior

12 million

40 civil society organizations

were engaged for the National Forum Against Gender-Based Violence

40 civil society organizations

800 public servants

trained to coordinate gender-based violence prevention and response programmes

800 public servants

154 officials

Trained to map gender-based violence services

154 officials

620 community leaders and government officials

were trained on the gender-based violence handbook.

620 community leaders and government officials

Colombo Fashion Week

helped raise awareness on ending gender-based violence and imparted valuable skill sets to women residing in shelters for survivors.

Colombo Fashion Week

N. G. Kamlawathie is a remarkable woman with a disability who has dedicated her life to running a safe haven for women known as AKASA. Thanks to UNFPA's support, the shelter has been equipped with infrastructure, comprehensive safety measures, and operational guidelines, allowing survivors of violence to access the support, psychosocial counseling and referrals they need..

AKASA, a shelter managed by Ms. N. G. Kamlawathie, herself a disabled individual, was provided with essential financial and technical aid to enhance the facilities. The shelter underwent improvements in infrastructure and received guidance to streamline administrative processes..

As a result, survivors can now make use of facilities and services such as GBV support, psychosocial and counseling services, and referrals. Additionally, the resident women with disabilities were also offered vocational training support to enhance their capabilities and economic empowerment..

In order to ensure the safety of women and girls within the shelter, a Safety and Renovation Plan was implemented, which included improving sanitation facilities, ensuring continuous power supply through minor renovations, and adhering to security specifications set by the Technical Officer of the Divisional Secretariat..

UNFPA played a role in strengthening the relationship between the shelter, the Divisional Secretariat, and civil society organizations, resulting in the establishment of a multi-sectoral stakeholders' committee. This effort also led to the inclusion of AKASA on the list of government support shelters, ensuring the future sustainability of the safe house. Additionally, UNFPA facilitated significant achievements, including obtaining cabinet approval for government support and signing an MOU between the Ministry of Women and AKASA during the reporting period..

AKASA receives ongoing support from UNFPA, working in conjunction with the Women's Development Centre Kandy to bolster their capabilities and furnish supplementary instruction to women with disabilities. This assistance has served to augment AKASA's financial autonomy through several avenues, such as fulfilling an order for 2000 school bags from a government school and collaborating with designer Amilani Perera to present a Mocrom Technique exhibit at Fashion Week 2023

Integrating sexual and gender-based violence considerations into disaster response

UNFPA partnered with the Disaster Management Centre to develop a powerful tool — a handbook on sexual and gender-based violence in disasters. This handbook serves as a guiding light, illuminating a comprehensive approach and providing practical guidelines that cover a broad spectrum of possible responses in any disaster scenario. Policymakers, first responders and community groups can now confidently plan, coordinate and implement key actions for a gender-equitable disaster response.

The handbook will contribute to the implementation of the Policy Framework and National Plan of Action to address sexual and gender-based violence. To ensure that the knowledge is widespread, 620 senior officials, members of the tri-forces, and first responders were trained on the handbook.

The cohort included Disaster Management Centre officers, women development officers, counseling officers, midwives, as well as public health inspectors in the Kalutara, Ratnapura, Galle, Badulla, Kandy and Kegalle districts.

During the training sessions, participants focused on integrating action plans for the prevention of violence and sexual exploitation and abuse during disaster situations. The training covered risk mitigation and minimizing vulnerabilities among communities affected by disasters. Thanks to this collaboration, the future response to disaster situations in these areas will be safer, more effective, and equitable for all.

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Taking the lead in a crisis

With the onset of the crisis in Sri Lanka, UNFPA stepped up to support the most vulnerable women, girls, young people, and people with disabilities with life-saving reproductive health and protection services.

As the lead agency addressing sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence, UNFPA ensured that critical services for family planning, maternal health, and prevention of gender-based violence continued uninterrupted. 

Working in tandem with other United Nations agencies, UNFPA crafted and executed joint humanitarian programming aimed at curbing gender-based violence. 

Drawing on its expertise and strong partnerships, UNFPA also collaborated with civil society to deliver an effective humanitarian response. Through these efforts, UNFPA helped women, girls, and young people exercise their right to choose and maintain their dignity and resilience in the face of adversity.

Play video

Humanitarian Response in 2022

With the multi-dimensional crisis in 2022, UNFPA Sri Lanka launched a humanitarian response to support the country. Watch our video on the 2022 humanitarian response.

In 2022, as Sri Lanka experienced its worst socio-economic crisis. Heavy rainfall also led to flooding in several parts of the Central province, causing significant damage across the region..

To address the crisis, UNFPA, in collaboration with the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing, Praja Shakthi Development Project, and Officials from the Divisional Secretariat, distributed 549 Dignity Kits to women and girls. During their visit, UNFPA further identified the need to provide hygiene equipment and other facilities to the Hydreen division of the Pasbage Korale DS Division in Kandy District. 13 portable toilets were provided for 18 households. Additionally, financial support and community involvement assisted in refurbishing the Community hall, which serves as the gathering spot in case of any disaster situation, and includes a designated area for women to change..

To support those affected by the floods, UNFPA provided technical and financial assistance to 22 directly impacted families and 100 indirectly affected communities through their partner, Women Development Centre (WDC). .

Moreover, with the involvement of various government stakeholders such as the GN office, WDOs, MOH, and community leaders, UNFPA was able to further enhance the well-being of the community through the organization of women wellness clinics, provision of counseling services, and mobile health camps for women of reproductive age..

Additionally, the project successfully established self-help groups and women's groups in the Nawalapitiya division. The project also focused on improving the community's livelihood by strengthening poultry farming and upgrading the pipe water system of the school in the division to ensure adequate and quality water and sanitation facilities.

Approximately 81% of Sri Lanka's population resides in rural areas; with many struggling to fulfill their basic necessities due to poverty..

One such individual is Lasanthika, a 22-year-old mother from Monaragala who is pregnant with her second child. She also has a young daughter. She hopes for good health for her unborn child and fears malnutrition, which she has seen on the news as being on the rise. Due to the country's economic situation, mothers and lactating women like Lasanthika face difficulties in managing expenses such as transportation and medication..

UNFPA together with WFP collaborated to offer monetary aid in the form of cash vouchers. The primary goal of which is to ensure that pregnant and lactating women have adequate financial support to maintain their nutrition, sanitation, and healthcare. As many as 61,230 women have benefitted from this program, enabling them to lead more comfortable lives during this crisis

Medicines, commodities, essential services

UNFPA provided life-saving assistance to women and girls to uphold their right of choice and enhance their individual capacity to cope with the crisis.

Through the procurement and distribution of essential sexual and reproductive health and family planning commodities and medical equipment, as well as the provision of vital information and services, UNFPA provided much-needed support to target health facilities.

Alternative service delivery approaches such as mobile clinics and outreach initiatives were utilized to bring health care closer to women and girls, while psychosocial support was provided to health workers to help them continue providing quality care despite the challenges of the ongoing socio-economic crisis. And for pregnant women and girls, cash and voucher assistance provided a much-needed lifeline in a context where the cost of care was increasing.

2.4 million

medicines, contraceptives and supplies were provided to Ministry of Health for maternal health care

2.4 million

61,230 people

people received a cash top up assistance to access health services

61,230 people

2,500 women

survivors or at risk of gender-based violence received cash for protection

2,500 women

16,304

people, including 789 older persons, were reached by 46 mobile clinics in six districts

16,304

Zero tolerance for violence

As the global lead for the gender-based violence Area of Responsibility under the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, UNFPA continued to ensure that safe spaces and survivor-centred multidisciplinary services were available and accessible to survivors of gender-based violence and women and girls at risk.

This meant supporting existing shelters, offering psychosocial and referral support, strengthening the skills of the multidisciplinary team, and establishing service points to deliver life-saving assistance with a survivor-centric approach.

To mitigate the risk of gender-based violence, cash was given to vulnerable women and girls, empowering them with greater resilience and autonomy. Meanwhile, the multi-sectoral gender-based violence sub-cluster coordination mechanisms were fortified through regular meetings, gender analyses, and the incorporation of gender and gender-based violence dimensions into other sectoral assessments.

7

women shelters were supported for survivors of violence to receive protection

7

184 people

from 12 districts were trained on psychological First Aid (PFA)

184 people

803

health workers were trained in case management for mental health and psycho-social support.

803

Peer support groups

In ten districts were trained as first responders on gender-based violence

Peer support groups

Inspiring resilience

UNFPA’s response integrates a social and economic dimension and upholds the dignity of women and girls. From providing dignity kits, maternity kits, and hygiene kits to women and girls of all abilities, to equipping adolescent girls with menstrual hygiene kits to keep them in school, and ensuring older women had access to elderly kits, UNFPA left no stone unturned in 2022.

Working together with the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), UNFPA provided much-needed cash voucher assistance through Cash Plus programming, to protect the reproductive health and well-being of women in the Colombo Municipal Council area and in the Estate sector. By partnering with FAO and United Nations Volunteers, UNFPA also empowered women in urban poor settings on urban agriculture and nutrition and how to access sexual and reproductive health, ultimately strengthening their resilience and welfare.

3,600

maternity kits were provided to visibly pregnant mothers

3,600

20 IARH Kit 3

for clinical management of rape were provided to ensure survivors of sexual abuse receive life-saving treatment and care.

20 IARH Kit 3

3,500

dignity kits were provided to women with essential hygiene and safety items.

3,500

2,500

older women received elderly kits

2,500

236 women and young people

women and young people attended awareness sessions on nutrition, agriculture, health and gender

236 women and young people

589 household visits

household visits were made by peer educators, focusing on menstrual health, maternal health and referrals.

589 household visits

Impact Story

  • A shelter struggles as the Sri Lanka crisis deepens

    The economic crisis brought a host of challenges, including a scarcity of government funds for all health-related services, including safe houses for women. Amidst the paucity of resources and diminished wages for workers, the Jaffna Social Action Centre, where Rangi resided, lacked the necessary supplies to instruct fellow women on profitable life skills. However, UNFPA stepped in to support shelters and ensure women continued to benefit from this crucial service.

    Read more
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Inspiration in Action

Everyday living with data

UNFPA supports generation and dissemination of reliable data and new methodologies to inform policies and programmes on population. In partnership with the Department of National Planning, UNFPA has championed the use of the national time transfer account (NTTA) methodology as a means of showcasing women's comprehensive contributions to the economy. This methodology accounts for their value-added domestic and care work.

Furthermore, in a bid to enhance data dissemination, UNFPA worked hand-in-hand with the Department of Census and Statistics to create stimulating data visualizations, updated collateral, and easily operable dashboards.

Impactful data - transforming the visual direction of the Department of Census and Statistics

Fostering a culture of producing and using reliable data is central to UNFPA’s mandate. UNFPA supported the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) to develop a new visual direction and effective communication with policymakers, academia, and the general public. 

DCS's new visual direction, updated collateral, and plug-and-play dashboards were created for easy identification, codification, fast and simple application, and communicational impact. All were underscored by environmental and stakeholder analyses coupled with leadership and capacity development within DCS to maintain and progress this co-created endeavor. 

A key feature of this collaboration is the disability-inclusive material, including first-ever braille and large-print publications, to enable data literacy among the visually disabled community, making DCS the first government department in the country to speak to the visually impaired. A brand guide, publishing style guides, and social media guidelines were developed, and staff was trained on the rollout of the new brand identity. 

An online data visualization repository was developed making it easy for staff to access these resources to create reports, data sheets, and other outreach materials necessary for the dissemination of DCS data. These standard tools and templates save time and create efficiencies, as well as brand cohesion. The multiple dashboards provide users with easy access to historical and current statistics in user-friendly and engaging formats.

The project drives innovation via design thinking in modern times – it helps public organizations see themselves through their constituents, creating better internal processes that result in public system changes around information gathering, analysis, dissemination, accountability, and transparency.

NTTA

was published to count and value women’s work

NTTA

16

government officers were trained on national transfer accounts and NTTA methodology

16

2024

Population and Housing Census preparations were supported with hardware and software

2024

“DCS started a strategic communications initiative with UNFPA to increase data literacy in Sri Lanka as a whole. We started with a rebranding of the organization and the launch of multiple initiatives with a keen eye on getting data and information out to the general public in three languages. As citizens become more interested and data literate, they require such data literacy from their government as well. As a government department, we act as a change agent and thought leader, with our work itself showing how sharing data and information in easy and accessible ways can enhance data literacy, and by extension, lead to a more effective and transparent government.”

Director General, DCS at the eighth session of the Committee on Statistics of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Bangkok, August 2022

Young people leading change

Empowering youth to play their role in peace building and social cohesion and making informed choices for sexual and reproductive health is a key pillar of UNFPA’s work in Sri Lanka.

By engaging various youth groups that represent different religious and ethnic communities across the North, South, Central, and East provinces of Sri Lanka, UNFPA has brought together an innovative and participatory intervention with youth-led organizations and networks. This initiative has empowered young people as change agents, dispelling myths and misconceptions surrounding sexual and reproductive health and contributing to a peaceful and cohesive community.

These myths have often been exploited to perpetuate communal violence, which is why the youth produced visual arts and short films to explain how they can create a positive change within the community, building peace. There is now a vibrant cohort of 50 young people who are on a mission to mobilize and unite communities around the rights and health of youth. UNFPA has supported adolescent and youth-friendly centres, providing young people with access to accurate and comprehensive services, information, and raising awareness.

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Partnerships, Communications and Advocacy

Throughout 2022, UNFPA Sri Lanka continued to expand and fortify its partnerships with diverse stakeholders, ranging from national and local government to civil society, academia, and corporate companies. Recognizing the immense value in engaging multi-sectoral and multi-level partners, UNFPA Sri Lanka employed a proactive and strategic approach to fostering these relationships, ultimately creating synergies and presenting shared opportunities for enhanced impact and support in pursuit of the organization's mission.

In addition to these partnerships, UNFPA Sri Lanka joined forces with sister United Nations agencies across the humanitarian-development and peace network, including UN Women, the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNDP, International Labour Organization, the World Health Organization, FAO, WFP, and the International Organization for Migration. Together, they collaborated on vital initiatives aimed at preventing and responding to gender-based violence, strengthening disaster risk reduction, and designing and implementing joint humanitarian programming for maximum efficacy.

UNFPA Sri Lanka also built on strong pre-existing partnerships with Save the Children, Family Planning Association, World Vision, Sarvodaya and Help Age, all in the name of ensuring that life-saving assistance and crucial services reach those who need them most. Additionally, UNFPA Sri Lanka engaged with esteemed professional bodies, including the Sri Lanka Medical Association and the Sri Lanka College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, paving the way for impactful collaborations in the years to come.

Winner of UNFPA Innovation Award 2022

Winner of UNFPA Innovation Award 2022

UNFPA Sri Lanka has teamed up with Colombo Fashion Week, Sri Lanka's premier fashion extravaganza, and Amilani Perera Designer Wear to ignite a movement against the insidious nature and pervasive prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence in the fashion industry and its followers.

With a focus on the fashion value chain, producers, consumers, and survivors of sexual violence are integrated into the production for fashion brands, while fashion industry experts are linked with women's shelters to help raise funds for skills development and economic empowerment. 

Designer Amilani Perera created three spectacular collections with input from survivors housed at a shelter in Kandy to raise awareness of violence. Merchandise and t-shirts designed by Amilani Perera and Thiyasha De Fonseka advocated for gender equality and raised funds for the women-run shelter, Jaffna Social Action Centre.

Amilani Perera conducted workshops to upgrade the skills of survivors, including those with disabilities, housed in the Kandy and Anuradhapura shelters. To sensitize professionals within the fashion industry, UNFPA carried out sessions on the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse.  A leading mobile service provider co-produced a ringtone of the famous song Nidahase with popular singer-songwriter Ashanthi de Alwis, and all proceeds went to shelters. 

Together, this formidable partnership is leveraging fashion and art as a platform for change, sparking a much-needed revolution to end gender-based violence and empower survivors.

A lifeline in an ad

In 2022, UNFPA worked to spread awareness about sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence through two powerful campaigns. With the aim of dispelling misconceptions and myths surrounding sexual health, the campaigns were designed to educate the general public, especially women and young people, about the available services for survivors of violence. The campaigns also encouraged family planning and creating healthy spacing between children.

In collaboration with the Sri Lanka College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists that helped to design the key messages, the first campaign under the PROMISES project received support from the Government of Japan and was broadcasted on five leading television and radio channels.

The broadcast featured 10 public service announcements and commercials in Sinhala, Tamil, and English, focusing on topics such as the importance of consent, healthy relationships, contraception, and the dangers of teenage pregnancy.

The second campaign was launched during the 16 Days of Activism and   the Mithuru Piyasa hotline for women and girls, especially those who are survivors of violence. Produced in Sinhala, Tamil, and English, the content was broadcasted on radio and television, almost doubling the calls at the helpline. 

The campaigns were a huge success, reaching approximately 12 million people, with an estimated 2 million unique viewers per campaign. .

Funders and Partners

Thank you to our esteemed funders and partners for your invaluable support in advancing UNFPA Sri Lanka's mission to improve the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women, girls, young people, and key populations. Your contributions make a lasting impact.

Donors
Global Affaires Canada
Government of Australia
Government of China
Government of Norway
Government of Japan

Government Implementing Partners
Department of Census and Statistics
Disaster Management Centre
Department of National Planning
Ministry of Education
Ministry of Health
Family Health Bureau
Health Promotion Bureau
National STD & AIDS Control Programme
Ministry of Public Security
Ministry of Women and Child Development
Select Committee of Parliament to Ensure Gender Equity and Equality

Government Partners
Colombo Municipal Council
Demography Department, University of Colombo
Faculty of Arts, University of Colombo
Ministry of Public Administration and Management
District- and Divisional-level Secretariats

Associations
Menopause Society
Sri Lanka Medical Association
Sri Lanka College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Civil Society
AKASA
Alliance Development Trust
Chrysalis
Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka
Forum Against Gender-Based Violence
HelpAge Sri Lanka
Jaffna Social Action Network
Sarvodaya Shramadhana Movement
Save the Children
Women’s Development Centre
Women in Need
World Vision

Corporate Partners
Amilani Perera Designer Wear
Brandix
Colombo Fashion Week
Mobitel
Sunrise Foundation

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