Our Team
Executive Director
Shyamala Gomez is a human rights lawyer by training and has over twenty five years experience as an academic, researcher and activist. She has an LLB from the University of Colombo and a Masters in Law from Georgetown University, Washington DC. She has published in the areas of violence against women, masculinities, sexual violence in conflict, migrant workers rights, women’s land rights, reproductive rights and on women, peace and security.
Email: shyamalagomez.ed@cejsl.org
Projects Manager
Letchumanan Kamaleswary holds a BA in Sociology from the University of Peradeniya and a Masters in Development Studies from the University of Colombo. Kamaleswary has over 10 years of experience working on women’s rights.
E mail: kamali@cejsl.org
Finance and Administration Manager
Charmaine de Silva is an ACCA qualified Financial and Administration professional with over 15 years of experience working in the Development sector.
E mail: finance@cejsl.org
Finance Assistant
Irosha Karunanayaka is partly qualified in AAT and carries 8 years of government and private sector experience in the Finance field.
Email: financeasst.cej@gmail.com
Project Officer
Email: yumna.cej@gmail.com
Project Officer
Himaja Rajakaruna is an Attorney-at-Law and an LLB (Hons) graduate from the University of London. She also holds a Master’s in Human Rights and Democratization from the University of Colombo. With over four years of experience in the development sector, Himaja is passionate about promoting human rights, with a particular focus on the rights of women and children in Sri Lanka. Her work is grounded in research, advocacy, and a strong commitment to social justice.
Email: himaja.cej@gmail.com
Project Officer
Maneka Gamage holds Diplomas in Counselling and Psychotherapy from the University of Kelaniya and the Institute of Psychological Studies (IPS), and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Nāgānanda International Institute for Buddhist Studies (NIIBS Campus). She has over seven years of professional experience in counselling and project coordination within the development sector. Maneka is passionate about mental health, community wellbeing, and supporting vulnerable groups through psychosocial interventions and awareness initiatives.
Email: maneka.cej@gmail.com
Field Officer
Nilmini Vijitha is pursuing a Diploma course in social work and has 17 years of local experience in the social, economic, political and educational empowerment of marginalized grassroots groups such as children, youth, adults and women. She is passionate about empowering marginalized individuals, family units, groups and communities in Sri Lanka.
Email: nilmini.cej@gmail.com
Field Officer
Banuja Rujanth holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Peradeniya. She has a Diploma in Social Work, Diploma in Women Empowerment and Political Empowerment from the National Institute of Social Development, and a Diploma in media (television, radio newscaster and program presenters in Tamil language) Banuja has over ten years of experience in the Development Sector, specifically working on rights of women and women empowerment.
Email:banuja.cej@gmail.com
Community Facilitator
Janani Sureshkumar holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the National Institute of Social Development. She has three years of experience working in social work, specifically in the disability field. She strongly believes that “acceptance” is the basic tool for creating a diverse society.
Email:janani.cej@gmail.com
Community Facilitator
Udara has about three years of experience working in the development sector, primarily involved in fostering positive parent-child interactions that promote healthy habits. As a Community Facilitator at CEJ, she aspires to facilitate and empower the community she is working with.
Email: udara.cej@gmail.com
Community Facilitator
Thurkkadevi has a Diploma in Child Protection from the National Institute of Social Development, and she has 15 years of experience working with women and children.
Email: thurkkadevi.cej@gmail.com
Community Facilitator
Vendakumar Jeevasharmila has 18 years of experience in social work as a counselor in non-profit organizations, and she worked as a trainer for persons with disabilities and youth groups on the topics of leadership, human rights, and fundamental freedom. She has experience in the improvement of women’s economic status, development, and leadership. Jeevasharmila is very interested in raising awareness among conflict-affected women on developing intellectual thinking and fostering critical thinking.
Email: jeevasharmila.cej@gmail.com
Child Representative Officer
Madhushani Jayasinghe is pursuing a Business Administration degree at Rajarata University and holds an Advanced Certificate in Child Care and Rights from the University of Colombo. She has about ten years of experience working with non-government organisations, focusing on child development and well-being. Madhushani is passionate about making a difference in the lives of underprivileged children, ensuring their access to education, healthcare, and a bright future.
Email: madhushani.cej@gmail.com
Child Representative Officer
With 25 years of expertise in the development field, Selvakumary Kaneshamoorthy has worked closely with women, youth, and children. Most significantly, her goal is to ensure that every child in society grows up in a peaceful environment. She has worked with youth on issues of reconciliation, the peacebuilding process, and women’s economic empowerment.
Email: selvakumary.cej@gmail.com
Community Facilitator
Email: suseema.cej@gmail.com
Community Facilitator
Priyangika has over 15 years of experience working with government and non-government institutions for the social welfare of women and children. In a constantly evolving social landscape with new challenges arising, she strives to understand communities’ needs to socially empower them for brigher futures.
Community Facilitator
Harshani has worked in the community facilitation sector for approximately six years and has gained significant and diverse experience. She can quickly identify issues with the community at the ground-level and is skilled in sensitively addressing and resolving issues.
CEJ Consultants
Project Consultant
Shani Asokan holds a Masters of Arts (MA) in Human Rights from the Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies (IHRP) of Mahidol University and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from University of London. She has a background in law and journalism, and has conducted research on women in conflict, ambivalent empowerment, and narrative voice in post-conflict literature.
Email:shani@cejsl.org
Advocacy Consultant
Sahani Chandraratna has a BA in Sociology from The George Washington University, a MSC in Social Work from Columbia University in the City of New York, and a MPH from Columbia University in the City of New York. She has over eight years of experience working with the development sector in communication, research, and program management. She is interested in knowledge translation and the social determinants of health.
Email:sahani.cej@gmail.com