Stories of Sri Lankan Women Driving Change in Building a Gender-Equal Society
Ms. Azusa Kubota, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka, inaugurated UNDP’s mobile interactive exhibition, ‘A Journey of Transformation and Women’s Empowerment,’ in Nuwara Eliya last afternoon. The exhibition will be open to the public at the Nuwara Eliya Public Library Hall and will run from 4th to 6th of April. Alongside the exhibition, social dialogues with plantation representatives in partnership with the private sector, and CSO representatives also took place, serving as a platform to encourage conversation through the transformative champions and survivors featured in the exhibition.
Sri Lanka’s first Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI), recently published by UNDP in Sri Lanka and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), outlines that 55.7% of Sri Lankans are multidimensionally vulnerable, with 44.2% in the Nuwara Eliya district. The statistics unveil the realities faced by families, urging for sustainable solutions that ensure no one is left behind.
The mobile interactive exhibition, makes its 6th stop in Nuwara Eliya this week, continuing its successful journey across the island which started in Kandy and has been open to the public in Kurunegala, Jaffna, Colombo, and Galle. This is made possible through the generous support of the Government of Canada and the Royal Norwegian Embassy.
Supported by UNDP Sri Lanka’s efforts over the years, alongside multiple partners, the exhibition aims to address barriers to gender equality and Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV). These inspiring tales of change include women’s roles in ensuring food security, adapting to climate change, leading community actions, pioneering work in the justice sector, women local government champions and sustaining livelihoods in Sri Lanka across many projects.
The exhibition invites the public to participate in discussions, share their stories, and contribute ideas for transformation and women’s empowerment.
The exhibition will take place from 4th-6th April 2024 at the Public Library Hall, Nuwara Eliya from 9.00 am – 6.00 pm. Free admission.
