An issue mapping programme for women and youth to identify and prioritise local issues was held in Matara under NPC’s Women Organized for Inclusion through CommunityEngagement (WOICE) project. Ms. Sereen Tahir from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), the project's donor, participated in the discussions and shared her observations.

During a discussion on the current political situation, the women participants demonstrated an understanding of politics and expressed their readiness to face challenges for long term change. “We understand that meaningful change takes time. We are ready to face hardships and wait for success to come,” one participant said. The women identified issues such as caste-based discrimination and the lack of sex education that leads to unintended pregnancies and child neglect as needing attention.

The youth participants discussed social issues and showed less political awareness than the women but identified problems they considered serious. They viewed caste and ethnic issues as outdated with one participant commenting, “Caste and ethnic problems are things of the past. We need to focus on present day challenges that affect us directly.” The youth prioritised issues such as unregulated tourism and the lack of vocational training and educational opportunities for school leavers.

The programme revealed differences in priorities between the two groups, with women focusing on social inclusion and reconciliation while youth emphasised education and skill development. A democratic voting process was introduced to prioritise the most critical issues identified by the participants.
“It’s one thing to read about such initiatives in reports but seeing them unfold in real life is truly rewarding,” Ms. Tahir said.