Sri Lanka
About Our Work in Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, we contribute to long-term peace and prosperity by strengthening institutions of governance and justice and addressing the root causes of political and social conflict. Our programs help advance inclusive economic growth and development at subnational and national levels, support women's empowerment, and increase access to justice through mediated dispute resolution. In the aftermath of multiple crises, we continue to strengthen civil society, promote citizen participation in decision-making, and support individuals and communities in their recovery from trauma.
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News from Sri Lanka
Learn about our latest work and development approaches.
What We Do
Strengthening local governance
For more than two decades, The Asia Foundation has worked to strengthen subnational governance in Sri Lanka, reducing systemic barriers to effective devolution while improving economic resilience and citizen engagement. Through partnerships with national, provincial, and local authorities, TAF has supported more inclusive, accountable, and responsive governance systems.
Building on this work, the Strengthening Governance Program, supported by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, uses data-driven approaches to support the development of laws, policies, and systems that advance national priorities while addressing local needs. Key areas include improving revenue generation, community-centered resource allocation, expanding social safety nets for vulnerable groups, and streamlining regulatory services for local businesses. Amid ongoing fiscal consolidation following Sri Lanka’s recent economic crisis, the program also prioritizes the financial resilience of local government institutions to ensure their sustainability.
Working with women and girls
The Asia Foundation’s support for women and girls in Sri Lanka began in the 1950s and has remained a core priority. Over the decades, TAF has partnered with national and community organizations, providing psychosocial, legal, and income generating services, raising awareness of rights, and advocating for legal and policy reform. This commitment continues today through programs like Addressing Unpaid Care Work in Sri Lanka and Renewed Women’s Voice and Leadership, both supported by Global Affairs Canada, through which women’s organizations support TAF’s work to enhance the rights, well-being, and opportunities of women and girls.
Through the Addressing Unpaid Care Work project, TAF works with partners to change the disproportionate responsibilities over care work that women bear. Along with women’s organizations, we also work with national and local government institutions to develop policies on unpaid care work, which is a priority of the Government of Sri Lanka. The Renewed Women’s Voice and Leadership project adopts a locally led model, partnering with district-level organizations to support grassroots women’s collectives across the country on various women’s rights issues.
Psychosocial support services
Following decades of conflict, natural disasters, and economic hardship, Sri Lanka has mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) needs that often go unmet at the community level. For nearly two decades, TAF has helped respond to diverse MHPSS issues in Sri Lanka by providing support for direct services to vulnerable and trauma-affected communities, standardizing clinical tools for government cadres and civil society organizations, and training government and non-government MHPSS practitioners. This work has also included peer support initiatives, case management, self-care programs, integration of MHPSS into development programming, and facilitating community-based approaches to recovery.
Under the Strengthening Governance Program, our current activities aim to improve provincial-level capacity to deliver psychosocial support through a more structured, integrated approach. Institutional mapping, needs assessments, and policy dialogues create space for subnational government actors to better engage in psychosocial support service delivery and shape policies that reflect community realities.
Digital resilience for inclusive economic growth
The Asia Foundation’s work in Sri Lanka has consistently focused on strengthening economic inclusion and resilience, including among women and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). By addressing systemic and social barriers, we have empowered more than 300 women entrepreneurs through improved access to finance, skills development, mentorship, and business networks, enabling them to participate more fully in the formal economy.
In 2024, building on this support, we launched a nationwide initiative under the Asia Pacific Cybersecurity Fund to enhance digital and cybersecurity readiness among Sri Lankan enterprises. This effort, supported by Google.org, aims to equip more than 13,000 MSMEs with practical knowledge and tools to mitigate cyber threats, safeguard data, and operate securely online in an increasingly digitized economy. To ensure long-term digital resilience, TAF is partnering with two leading Sri Lankan universities to establish cyber clinics where MSMEs can access technical expertise, training, and tailored guidance. These initiatives are part of a broader commitment to promote inclusive economic growth by ensuring small businesses are not left behind in the digital transformation.
Recent Publications
Pathways to Justice: Learning from the past, charting the future in Asia, Sri Lanka (1960–2024)
Inside Justice: Experiences of Human Rights Defenders in Addressing Domestic Violence at the Community Level
Sri Lanka
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Staff in Sri Lanka
Mission-driven and multidisciplinary, our staff bring a broad range of talents and backgrounds to their work every day.
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Arumaithurai Subakaran
Project Director, Strengthening Subnational Governance, Sri Lanka
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Chaithri Ranatunge
Senior Program Manager, Sri Lanka
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Evangeline de Silva
Senior Program Manager, Gender and Justice, Sri Lanka
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Gopa Kumar K Thampi
Senior Governance Advisor, Sri Lanka
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Johann Rebert
Country Representative, Sri Lanka
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Radhika Abeynaike
Director, Strategy and Learning, Sri Lanka
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Roshan Shajehan
Senior Program Manager, Maldives Programs
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Rukshanie Vidyaratne
Senior Program Manager, Inclusive Economic Development, Sri Lanka