IFES Sri Lanka

On 25 and 27 May 2026, the Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities convened the first-ever national consultation enabling persons with disabilities to directly influence the National Budget 2027. The consultations brought together grassroots advocates, disability inclusion experts, and lawmakers. More than 50 proposals were submitted on social protection, accessibility, education, employment, health, assistive technology, and legal rights. The initiative highlighted the voices and priorities of persons with disabilities that will inform national planning and budget decisions.

The consultations reflect the disability rights principle of “Nothing About Us Without Us” and built on ongoing efforts by IFES Sri Lanka with the support of the High Commission, in Sri Lanka, to strengthen the meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in public decision-making processes.

The Sri Lanka Institute of Local Governance (SLILG), in partnership with IFES Sri Lanka, presented its Strategic Plan 2026–2030 to the Governing Board for formal approval. Developed through a four-stage consultative process led by SLILG, the Plan provides a roadmap for strengthening local governance institutions over the next five years. The consultations brought together local government officials, civil society representatives, ministry officials, legal experts, academics, and SLILG staff to help shape the institution’s future priorities.

This initiative was facilitated by IFES Sri Lanka, with support from the Australian High Commission, in Sri Lanka, to strengthen SLILG’s capacity to support more inclusive, participatory, and responsive local governance.

ඔබේ නම ඡන්ද හිමි නාම ලේඛනයට ඇතුළත් ද?
உங்கள் பெயர் தேருநர் இடாப்பில் உள்ளதா?
Is your name on the voter register?

2026 ඡන්දහිමි නාම ලේඛන ප්‍රතිශෝධනය සඳහා හිමිකම් සහ විරෝධතා භාරගන්නා කාලසීමාව ජුනි 01 දක්වා වේ.
2026 தேருநர் இடாப்பு திருத்தத்திற்கான கோரிக்கைகள் மற்றும் ஆட்சேபனைகள் ஏற்றுக்கொள்ளப்படும் காலம் ஜூன் 01 வரை.
The period for accepting claims and objections for the 2026 voter registry revision is until June 01.

Did you know? 🗳️

If you have completed 18 years of age by 1 February 2026, you are eligible to be registered as a voter.

The Election Commission of Sri Lanka updates the Electoral Register annually and is currently providing voters the opportunity to verify the inclusion of their names and request any necessary corrections from May 5, 2026 to June 1, 2026.

Protect your right to vote by ensuring your details are correctly included in the Electoral Register.

📌To check whether your name is registered online, visit:
https://eservices.elections.gov.lk/pages/myVoterRegistrationSearch.aspx
📌ECSL video on the voter registration process:
https://www.facebook.com/reel/997183362694793

To read the full report on Violence Against Women in Elections Framework visit: https://www.ifes.org/publications/violence-against-women-elections-framework

🚺In 2016, IFES published a groundbreaking framework to assess, monitor, and respond to violence against women in elections (VAWE).

A decade later, the challenge has evolved. So the response has to evolve as well.

This month, drawing on 10 years of implementation and lessons learned, IFES has released an updated edition of "Violence Against Women in Elections: A Framework for Assessment, Monitoring, and Response."

The new framework streamlines VAWE data collection and analysis, while expanding its focus on online violence, gendered disinformation, and the growing role of artificial intelligence in amplifying these threats during electoral processes.

As technology reshapes political communication, protecting women’s political participation is more urgent than ever.

Download the full report — link in comments. ⤵️

In April, the Department of Social Services conducted a series of interviews to select the country’s first standardized Sign Language interpreter pool that will undergo the newly introduced grading system aimed at ensuring consistency, quality, professionalism, and accessibility to interpretation services nationwide. Out of 22 applicants, 14 were selected to proceed to a 10-day training program followed by a viva voce and practical evaluation for formal grading. A panel inclusive of departmental interpreters, representatives from the Sri Lanka Central Federation of the Deaf and the Tamil Deaf Association engaged in conducting the assessments.

This initiative was led by IFES Sri Lanka under the Disability Inclusive Governance initiative supported by the Australian High Commission, Sri Lanka.

IFES Sri Lanka in collaboration with the National Youth Services Council facilitated a training on effective facilitation for 20 NYSC representatives from across the country to create a skilled pool of master trainers targeting the youth sector. The program included sessions on facilitation, adult learning methods, and evaluation, alongside practical exercises such as lesson planning and simulated training with individualized feedback. Senior NYSC representatives engaged participants through discussions and emphasized applying these skills to empower youth and support Youth Service Officers nationwide.

This initiative was led by IFES Sri Lanka as a initiatives supported by the Australian High Commission, Sri Lanka.

The Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities, chaired by MP Hon. Sugath Wasantha de Silva, convened in Parliament to review 2026 Budget allocations and progress on disability-related programs. Discussions brought together nine ministries as well as the University Grants Commission, discussing areas such as higher education, accessible housing, entrepreneurship financing, and technology. The session engaged members of parliament, government officials, the Sri Lanka Central Federation of the Deaf, and representatives of the disability community.

PAVE has created an empowered network of youth leaders and community advocates who are driving inclusive social change 💪🏽.

PAVE STORIES 👨‍💼👩‍💼

My journey with PAVE has been truly transformative, both personally and professionally. Like many others, I began as a volunteer with PAVE, taking my first steps into community engagement and advocacy work.

Later, I was given the opportunity to serve as Team Leader of Advocacy Group. In this role, I was able to lead and implement our advocacy initiatives more effectively.

One of the most meaningful experiences was working closely with persons with disabilities, addressing issues related to their voting rights, and amplifying their voices to the Election Office and community-level platforms. PAVE provided me with a strong platform to be their voice.

Subsequently, I served as the Jaffna District PAVE Coordinator, where I had the opportunity to implement four advocacy initiatives. During this journey, I worked closely with diverse groups including youth, transgender communities, persons with disabilities, and marginalized communities.

PAVE also enabled me to directly engage with community-based organizations and government institutions, especially the Election Office, making our advocacy efforts more impactful and meaningful.

Overall, PAVE has strengthened my skills and given me a powerful experience of working closely with communities and creating real social impact 🤝✨

PAVE உடனான என் பயணம் என்னை தனிப்பட்டும், தொழில்முறையிலும் மிகுந்தளவில் மாற்றியமைத்த ஒரு அர்த்தமுள்ள அனுபவமாகும். எல்லோரையும் போலவே, நான் முதலில் PAVE அமைப்பில் ஒரு தன்னார்வத் தொண்டராக என் பயணத்தைத் தொடங்கினேன்.

பின்னர், பரிந்துரை முன்னேடுப்பு (Advocacy) குழுவின் தலைவராக செயல்படும் வாய்ப்பு எனக்கு கிடைத்தது. அந்தப் பொறுப்பில், எமது பரிந்துரை செயற்பாடுகளை வழிநடத்தி, திறம்பட முன்னெடுக்க முடிந்தது.

குறிப்பாக, இயலாமை கொண்ட நபர்களுடன் நெருக்கமாக பணியாற்றி, அவர்களின் வாக்குரிமை தொடர்பான பிரச்சனைகளை அடையாளம் கண்டு, அவற்றை தேர்தல் அலுவலகம் மற்றும் சமூக மட்டங்களுக்கு கொண்டு சென்று அவர்களின் குரலாக செயல்படுவதற்கு PAVE எனக்கு ஒரு வலுவான தளமாக இருந்தது.

அதனைத் தொடர்ந்து, யாழ் மாவட்ட PAVE இணைப்பாளராகவும் செயல்படும் வாய்ப்பு கிடைத்து, நான்கு பரிந்துரை முன்னேடுப்பு செயற்பாடுகளை வெற்றிகரமாக முன்னெடுக்க முடிந்தது. இதில், இளைஞர்கள், திருநர் சமூகத்தினர், இயலாமை கொண்ட நபர்கள் மற்றும் விளிம்புநிலையிலுள்ள சமூகக் குழுக்கள் என பல்வேறு தரப்பினருடன் இணைந்து பணியாற்றும் அனுபவமும் கிடைத்தது.

சமூக மட்ட அமைப்புகள் மற்றும் அரச நிறுவனங்கள், குறிப்பாக தேர்தல் அலுவலகத்துடன் நேரடியாக தொடர்புகளை ஏற்படுத்தி, எமது பரிந்துரை செயற்பாடுகளை முன்னெடுக்க PAVE ஒரு முக்கியமான தளமாக அமைந்தது.

மொத்தத்தில், PAVE எனது திறன்களை மேம்படுத்தி, சமூகத்துடன் இணைந்து செயற்படுவதற்கான ஒரு வலுவான மற்றும் அர்த்தமுள்ள அனுபவத்தை வழங்கியுள்ளது 🤝✨

Nila Nila