Colombo, Sri Lanka, 23 December 2024: The second Multi-Sectoral National Action Plan to Address Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (2024-2028) was launched recently (Dec. 20) in the presence of, Ms. Saroja Savithri Paulraj, Hon. Minister of Women and Child Affairs. The national launch event, which took place at the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs (MoWCA) premises was attended by Dr. Namal Sudarshana, Hon. Deputy Minister of Women and Child Affairs, Ms. K.D.R. Olga, Secretary, MoWCA; Ms. Nilmini Herath, Additional Secretary, MoWCA; Ms. Azusa Kubota, Resident Representative, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Sri Lanka; and Mr. Kunle Adeniyi, Country Representative, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Sri Lanka.  

Under the leadership of the Ministry of Women, Child Affairs & Social Empowerment, UNDP and UNFPA Sri Lanka over the past 03 years have provided the technical expertise required to formulate this National Action Plan with the invaluable support of the Kingdom of Norway and with the Government of Canada’s support in operationalising the NAP through the ‘Ensuring Justice for Victim-Survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in Sri Lanka’ joint project.

During the formulation process, key findings from the implementation and subsequent evaluation of the First National Action Plan to address SGBV (2016-2020) were incorporated. The second National Action Plan to address SGBV (2024 - 2028) has 13 sectors and 5 sub-sectors belonging to the 13 ministries– ranging from Gender Empowerment, Economic Empowerment, Social Protection and Welfare, Justice and Law Reform, Labour and Foreign Employment, Health and Indigenous Medicine, Plantation, Child Affairs, Transport, Mass Media, Youth and Sports, Disaster Management and Education.  

This Cabinet-approved second National Action Plan was formulated through a comprehensive consultative process with the line ministries together with UNDP and UNFPA with wider UN agencies, CSOs, development partners and private sector partners which includes robust interventions to address SGBV, reaffirms the Government of Sri Lanka’s commitment to address SGBV and strengthen the rights of women, girls and gender minorities. The National Action Plan to address SGBV-II is a testament, to how addressing SGBV requires a multi-sectoral approach that closely and actively engages in many of these sectors, to promote gender equality and eliminate gender-based violence in Sri Lanka.