Planned Budget (Total)
Other resources (non-core)
Country Indexes
outcome XM-DAC-41146-LKA_D_1.1
By 2027, the people of Sri Lanka live in a society which is more cohesive and strengthened by transformative and rights-based processes and mechanisms which support peaceful coexistence and human rights for all.
The support provided by the UN Women’s programmes in 2023 emerged as a pivotal factor in ensuring the uninterrupted operations of all State-owned shelters and safe houses in the country and facilitating the provision of vital services to survivors of violence against women and girls (VAWG). The project shouldered all operational costs associated with maintaining the shelters, except for transport expenses allocated separately by the Government's National Budget. An estimated LKR 6 million worth of provisions were provided monthly (excluding the one-time provision of equipment). This consistent and considerable investment has ensured the well-being of VAWG survivors, in the midst of an economic crisis where services to vulnerable populations - such as survivors of VAWG, women with disabilities - were heavily scaled down or completely defunded. This occurred as the government curtailed its public expenditure as it attempted to enact broad macroeconomic reforms to address the economic crisis. Hence, this programming was instrumental for the continued operations of shelters and safe houses within the country, providing a lifeline to VAWG survivors fleeing abusive circumstances. (See this link for supporting documents) The outcomes of the women entrepreneurs' empowerment component are evident in the transformative changes observed at both individual and community levels. The completion of training programmes and the subsequent successful pitching of business plans by 542 entrepreneurs have unlocked a pathway to more resilient and diversified livelihoods. These entrepreneurs are now positioned to access assets valued at LKR 110 million, fostering business expansion and diversification. Beyond traditional business skills, the project's focus on digital marketing training has contributed to an enhanced digital literacy landscape. Early observations suggest an increased awareness and utilization of digital tools among both beneficiaries and government officials. This digital proficiency is anticipated to facilitate more efficient business practices and communication channels, creating a lasting impact on the entrepreneurs' ability to adapt to the evolving business environment. Additionally, the 3 distributions of relief packages to each entrepreneur, each valued at LKR 44,000, have not only provided immediate relief to 600 households but have also served as a catalyst for the continued growth and expansion of businesses, which would otherwise have collapsed. Beneficiaries have reported a positive impact on household food security and stress reduction, allowing them to allocate more time and energy to their businesses. This dual impact on individual well-being and business development underscores the project's success in the approach adopted to support women hit hardest by the crisis. Please see this link for list of women entrepreneurs supported by the project; this link for the entrepreneurship related training modules; this link for pre- and post-training evaluation data from the digital literacy training; and this link for provision of relief supplies to the entrepreneurs.
outcome XM-DAC-41146-LKA_D_2.1
By 2027, women and girls enjoy and are empowered to exercise their full rights, representation, and agency over all aspects of their lives, and live free from discrimination and violence.
UN Women's programming results for 2023 represent a shift towards institutionalizing gender-sensitive policies and practices, fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders, and ensuring sustained commitment to gender equality in Sri Lanka. The adoption and initiation of the National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security (NAP WPS) in Sri Lanka in February 2023 signifies a transformative shift in gender-related policies and practices. Following the significant advocacy, technical advisory and support from UN Women over a period of 4 years, the NAP WPS is now not only adopted but has begun efforts towards implementation, with a structured governance framework in place. UN Women’s contribution towards preventing violence against women through women's economic empowerment has brought about transformative outcomes for women entrepreneurs in Mannar District. The project evaluation findings of increased production, sales, earnings, and profitability demonstrate tangible economic improvements for the beneficiaries. The ability of 60% of respondents to make a 100% contribution to household expenses and save a significant portion of their earnings illustrates this. Their economic empowerment is also reflected in the qualitative change reported by beneficiaries, who express better control over their finances and increased confidence. The perception of safety from violence, both within and outside the home, among 60% to 70% of survey respondents is a critical outcome, showcasing the project's broader impact on creating safer environments for women. Moreover, the unanimous view that women who participated in the programme are more respected by their family members and the community is indicative of a positive societal shift. The high level of agreement (over 90%) among survey respondents regarding the project's positive impact on their knowledge, awareness, and day-to-day business activities underscores a comprehensive improvement in business acumen and skills.
outcome XM-DAC-41146-LKA_O_1
Assuring an accountable organization through principled performance
UN Women has made steady progress on this Output in 2023 to position itself as an accountable and trustworthy organisation committed to advancing the gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE) agenda in Sri Lanka. In 2023, the office faced significant challenges in ensuring delivery on its humanitarian assistance programme, hampered by the global transition to the new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, Quantum. This significantly impacted the office’s ability to reach critical and vulnerable populations, having lost out on at least half of the year to system issues and lack of functionality. However, the office continued to capacitate its staff on navigating the new system and managing such externalities to the extent possible. As a result of these issues, the office’s delivery is expected to be below the standard corporate target of 85%. Despite these challenges, the office continued to reach significant results particularly in the latter half of the year by reaching crisis-affected populations and ensuring that women’s safe houses and shelters continued to operate without interruption, thereby providing a lifeline for those in dire need. Additionally, the office’s convening and coordination role on GEWE within the UNCT was strengthened by its appointment as the Chair of the inter-agency UN Gender Task Force, as enshrined by the UNSDCF. This enabled the office to take on a more proactive leadership role in steering the UNCT’s programming, policy advocacy and upstream support related to GEWE. Furthermore, the office was recognised for its instrumental role in the development of the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, which is a landmark achievement in relation to gender-responsive policy-making. Given the significant challenges encountered in both the country and organisational contexts, it is clear that as a Non-Resident Agency (NRA), the UN Women office is seen as a credible and technically-sound partner. It is also evident that for further success, UN Women’s operational capacity would need further organisation-wide consideration to ensure that it is fit-for-purpose and that NRA offices would substantially benefit from further core resource investment to continue to realise concrete results.
outcome XM-DAC-41146-LKA_O_2
Advancing partnerships & resourcing; Effectively influencing for impact & scale:
In 2023, increased visibility of UN Women’s work in Sri Lanka through digital and mainstream media, and engagement with youth, civil society and sister agencies has opened up new avenues for partnerships. For example, UN Women and the European Union (EU) Delegation to Sri Lanka partnered to facilitate discussions with university students on the gendered challenges and opportunities for women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) and the importance of tackling systemic obstacles to women thriving in STEM careers. Key communication products included 4 videos featuring local STEM champions working in science , technology and engineering – to showcase how Sri Lankan women are breaking barriers in the field, an article on closing the gender gap in STEM and social media content on how workplaces can better support women in STEM. Successful completion of this communications campaign has resulted in an annual partnership with the EU to commemorate International Day of Women and Girls in Science with an upcoming phase II of the campaign in 2024. In addition to this campaign, the EU’s interest to collaborate for 16 days of activism led to the convening of a youth-focused dialogue on ending violence against women in politics. In the context of International Women’s Day 2023 and the 2023 Commission on the Status on Women session, UN Women facilitated a virtual discussion with three women activists that harness digital spaces to advocate for the rights-based transformation of governance systems, economic processes, and legal frameworks. The aim of the discussion was twofold; to highlight the potential of digital spaces for women supporting rights-based transformation and to outline challenges to women activists in digital spaces, and outline recommendations for Sri Lanka. To complement this discussion, UN Women interviewed and featured three women using digital media for social change including a former local council member , journalist and LGBTIQ+ activist . These efforts have increased visibility of UN Women’s work, and are being recognized by donors in Sri Lanka, which as a result has increased requests for collaboration and partnerships from multiple entities including the private sector for gender equality and women’s empowerment.
outcome XM-DAC-41146-LKA_O_4
Nurturing an empowered Workforce and advancing an inclusive UN Women culture
The office made significant progress in its commitment to nurturing an empowered workforce and advancing a more inclusive UN Women. All staff members achieved their learning and development goals, including through training, thematic retreats, detailed assignments. This has yielded results in acquiring new skills and responsibilities, leading to professional development and addressing skills deficits of other offices. Given the urgency in delivering its commitments against a backdrop of delays caused by the global transition to Quantum, it must be noted that as a small team, staff members had to undertake extensive duty travel mission on a monthly basis, which impacted work-life balance.Showing 1 - 5 of 6