NPC’s Women Organized for Inclusion through Community Engagement (WOICE) project, which is supported by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), held a zoom session on women empowerment and resource mobilisation, which brought together over 60 women and youth leaders from the Badulla, Kandy, Kegalle, Matara, Monaragala, Nuwara Eliya and Polonnaruwa districts.
The session was conducted by Dr. Manoji Harischandra, Senior Lecturer at the University of Kelaniya, who provided insights into resource mobilisation strategies and international women focused frameworks. Recognising the wealth of practical experience among the participants, she sought to bridge the gap between grassroots activism and academic theory. Beyond theoretical discussions, Dr. Harischandra encouraged women to explore diverse fields such as art, entrepreneurship and self-employment as viable pathways to empowerment.
A woman leader from Monaragala underscored the importance of practical application, stating that she had received valuable theoretical insights and now must consider how to apply them in practice. She emphasised that Sri Lanka has had many empowered women in history such as Sunila Abeysekera and Adeline Molamure and that future sessions should include discussions about such influential figures. She also posed an intriguing question about representation in art and literature, noting that there are numerous novels and songs about women but most are written by men, and questioning how accurately men can capture the true emotions and experiences of women.
A participant from Kegalle reflected on a powerful statement from a book she read in her youth, which stated that a woman does not become great through marriage or having a successful marital life but by actively contributing to social progress. She emphasised that they need an active women’s movement. A woman leader from Kandy stated that women’s empowerment should not be the responsibility of women alone and that exploring ways in which men can contribute to women’s movements and empowerment was crucial.
Dr. Harischandra stated that the women were more empowered than she had expected. She expressed appreciation for the opportunity to provide theoretical knowledge to practically experienced women and looked forward to staying connected and supporting them in their journey toward further empowerment.
The success of this session reaffirmed the power of combining theoretical knowledge with grassroots experience, ensuring that women leaders and youth continue to drive meaningful social change in their communities.