International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, a time to call for change and to celebrate the acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in their homes, workplaces and society. This year under the global theme ‘inspiring change’, FPA Sri Lanka took several initiatives across the island to celebrate women!

In Batticaloa, a walk was held on the 9^th of March 2014 followed by a lecture highlighting a few Millennium Development Goals, namely goals 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6. This was hugely successful with a total 800 women participating at this event.

The Advocacy Unit of FPA Sri Lanka produced a 15-minute documentary, capturing the voices of a few distinguished female personalities in society, including Justice Shiranee Tilakawardane, Dr. Sudarshani Fernandopulle and Ms. Nita Fernando. These prominent women leaders representing various fields spoke on the importance of ensuring sexual and reproductive health and rights at the center of sustainable development and the issues faced by women in Sri Lanka. The video was posted on the FPA Sri Lanka Facebook page and shared with partner organizations and since reached close to 1600 views.  (Click to view video)

The Outreach Unit of FPA Sri Lanka coincided the opening of the new FPA Sri Lanka Center in Killinochchi with the commemoration of International Women’s Day. This center, which will be vital to providing access to sexual and reproductive health to the women in and around Killinochchi, was declared open under the patronage of the Honorable Minister of Health, Northern Province, Dr. P. Sathyalingam and our President, staff and volunteers of the technical advisory committees.

Separately over 400 packs of dry rations were distributed to war widows and single mothers in the Jaffna, Pudukudiiruppu and Killinochchi areas to show our support and solidarity to the women in the Northern Province.

The Koggala Service Delivery Point conducted a full day program on the 06^th of March 2014 with lectures, awareness programs and even beauty culture programs for 280 women at the BOI auditorium in Koggla, Sri Lanka.

In Nuwara Eliya, a Mobile Clinic and a Mobile Exhibition was held on the 23^rd of March in collaboration with the Kandapola Branch of the Bank of Ceylon in the Nuwara Eliya District for 120 women.  The objective of this program was to disseminate basic Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) knowledge and Family Planning whilst providing SRH services.