As a part of the inception phase, CEJ conducted a project orientation and learning session for regional partner organizations from Kilinochchi, Polonnaruwa, Puttalam, and Galle, that we hope to work with during the course of this project. It was a half-day workshop that took place in Hotel Mandarina Colombo (18th October 2022), with a total of 29 staff from the following six organizations participating from the respective districts:
- Kilinochchi: OfERRCeylon
- Polonnaruwa: Sunila Women and Children Development Foundation
- Puttalam: Muslim Women Development Trust & Rural Development Foundation
- Galle: Saviya Development Foundation & Rural Women’s Front
This workshop session introduced district partners to the work of CEJ, the framework, and the topics of the project: Gender and Sexuality, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), protecting civic space, and rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association (with a focus on SGBV victim survivors. The sessions were facilitated by Naushalaya Rajapaksha (Attorney-at-Law, Supreme Court of Sri Lanka), and Ruki Fernando (a human rights activist).
