UNFPA - United Nations Population Fund

Purpose

P001943001: The project aims to advance gender equality and the human rights of women and girls by strengthening Sri Lanka’s capacity to respond to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), including in the context of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. It is designed to support the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, other relevant government entities, the National Human Rights Commission and local women’s rights organizations in their response to SGBV. It also seeks to support the implementation of SGBV-related policies and strategies, including the Policy Framework and National Plan of Action to Address SGBV (2016-2020). Activities include: (1) commissioning the first national-level survey to gather data on SGBV; (2) training officials from the Sri Lankan Ministry of Women and Child Affairs and other relevant government entities to understand and use data to generate evidence-based responses to SGBV; (3) training the Sri Lanka National Human Rights Commission to understand SGBV and the role it can play in addressing SGBV; (4) building the capacity of the Sri Lankan Ministry of Women and Child Affairs to monitor the implementation of selected government policies and strategies, particularly the Policy Framework and National Plan of Action to Address SGBV; (5) supporting increased engagement and collaboration between the Sri Lankan Ministry of Women and Child Affairs and local women’s rights organizations in order to advance women’s equality and empowerment; and 6) addressing the increased SGBV challenges for vulnerable populations due to the COVID-19 pandemic through support to hospitals, virtual counselling for victims of violence, and a media (including social media) campaign against SGBV. P001943002: .The project aims to advance gender equality and the human rights of women and girls by strengthening Sri Lanka’s capacity to respond to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, this project is providing additional assistance to ensure the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women, girls and vulnerable populations are addressed during COVID-19. Project activities include: (1) creating media messaging to raise awareness of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) risk; (2) resourcing 30 hospital care centers to support remote counselling; (3) training hospital and care centre personnel on online case management and protocols to support SGBV survivors; and (3) procuring medical equipment for hospital maternity wards, including portable scanners, handheld Doppler, infant weighing scales, multi-para monitors, and radiant warmers.