Mobilising for empowerment and sustainability

Two mobilisers from the Mobilising for Empowerment project in Sri Lanka. Photo: Ann Wigglesworth

Sri Lanka

Partner: Kantha Shakthi

Funding source: Barclays Capital, Fleur Spitzer and AusAID – ANCP

Issue: Sri Lankan women from rural communities, cultural minorities or lower
castes continue to experience high levels of discrimination and exclusion.

Outline: Kantha Shakthi’s socio-political mobilisation project assists rural women to establish and register mutiple new independent community-based organisations. This provides a sustainable basis for women to continue to gather, organise and defend their rights and the rights of their communities. The initiative also aims to promote and advance the economic rights of rural women through business skills training and access to banking services.

Impact: This year a total of 649 rural women participated in 30 intensive workshops to develop strategies for the new independent Women’s Societies. The process resulted in the development of 13 constitutions and establishment of 10 Women’s Societies. Kantha Shakthi brought together local government agencies and the Women’s Societies to facilitate their registration and formalise their independent legal status.

“We were called Kanawendum Gehenu, which is stigmatised term in the Sinhala language referring to widows. We were considered as ill or bad omens. Ms Rohini renamed us as Women Heads of Households; I am going to tell this to the entire village” – widow in Balangoda

Tags: Balangoda, Economic Justice, Kantha Shakthi, Social Inclusion, Sri Lanka
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