Project profile — Enabling Justice for Victims-Survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Sri Lanka

This project aims to contribute to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in Sri Lanka. This is done by improving the provision of a safe, accountable, inclusive gender-responsive justice system and services for victims and survivors. Also, this is done by reducing harmful socio-cultural attitudes and practices that increase SGBV and stigmatize victims/survivors. The project takes into consideration evolving needs of women and girls in the current crisis context in Sri Lanka. Project activities include: (1) supporting the rights of SGBV victims and survivors to access a gender-responsive justice system through inclusive and gender-sensitive capacity building for justice sector institutions, including courts, lawyers, and government line ministries, and other state actors; (2) enhancing the participation and decision-making of women and girls in the improvement of gender-responsive, inclusive services provided by women's rights organizations for victims/survivors of SGBV; and (3) supporting activities that reduce harmful cultural barriers to women and girl's full enjoyment of their rights.

The expected results of this project include: (1) increased agency, decision making and empowerment of victims survivors of SGBV, especially in marginalized, vulnerable and fragile contexts. This helps them to access justice to redress SGBV and demand accountability from transformed and gender responsive institutions; (2) enhanced multi-sectoral coordinated and quality support services for victim survivors of SGBV to access justice and rebuild lives in a violence free environment; and (3) enhanced environment of positive norms, attitudes, practices and behaviors minimizing and preventing SGBV.

Results achieved as of April 2025 include: (1) strengthened and sensitized police and judiciary institutions to better respond to victims and survivors navigating the legal system; (2) improved access to coordinated, survivor-centered SGBV services in 8 districts of Sri Lanka, evidenced by stronger multisectoral collaboration. Also, the project increased gender-responsive legal aid from 71 newly trained Legal Aid Commission officers, timely justice facilitated via remote court hearings and expanded pro bono legal support from 74 trained lawyers; and (3) enhanced the capacities of 168 members of community-based organizations across 4 districts to strengthen their role of men and boys in preventing and addressing SGBV.