Empowering Women & Children in Sri Lanka

INTRODUCTION

The SLFUW is a non governmental, non political, multi ethnic, multi religious organization of university women, established in 1941 and is affiliated to the International Federation of University Women. It was granted approved charity status in 1982, and incorporated by act of Parliament in 1985(Act No 12 of 1985). Its membership consists of over 550 women graduates with expertise in diverse fields. In accordance with the general objectives of the organization SLFUW has always taken a keen interest in problems relating to women in general and university graduates in particular.

For the last six decades the Federation has been actively involved in programmes of national interest. The main thrust has been to enhance the capacity and skills of the young graduates and undergraduates who come from varying backgrounds mostly from rural areas and underprivileged homes. SLFUW has targeted its projects to these newly passed out graduates to enable them to be more employable. Some of the activities carried out in the past include, capacity building of graduates in management skills, workshops on youth leadership to promote a democratic political culture, clothes bank for needy university women, setting up a scholarship scheme for undergraduates, creating awareness on reproductive health especially on sexual health problems and community education programmes.

CURRENT POSITION

The SLFUW has had to a great extent curtail their programmes, to uplift those currently in the Universities and also recent graduates who fall short of the expectations of the market place at time of employment, as the Federation is not adequately equipped with the infrastructure to carry out all that is required, to meet an otherwise urgent need

Evaluations carried out at these training programmes have revealed that the most prominent of needs of the young graduates was to learn English and Computer technology. They realize that their futures are bleak as they are unable to converse in English and face interviews especially in the private sector, as they have to compete with the foreign qualified graduates.

THE PROJECT

The aim of the project is to establish and develop an activity oriented Resource and Training center for undergraduates, postgraduates and under-privileged women. The proposed Sri Lanka Federation of University Women (SLFUW) Resource and Training Centre, would be located at Kitulwatte Road, Colombo 8, on land given to the Federation on a 99 year lease by the Urban Development Authority, for its use. The Centre is envisaged to empower women by providing selective and employment oriented training in English, Computer skills etc., at minimal or no cost to the trainee.

Currently the SLFUW occupy a very small rented room in Colombo. This is barely sufficient for 4 people to work in, and the lack of facilities prevents the SLFUW from being effective at assisting women.

The Urban Development Authority (UDA) have allocated a 60 perch block of land on Kitulwatte Rd, off Elvitigala Mawatha, Colombo 8, to the SLFUW on a 99 year lease. Currently, on the land there is a building which is run as a University Women’s Hostel, the profits from which are also partly used for SLFUW programmes. The land is underutilized though, since the Federation lacks funds to construct facilities that would meet their requirements.

The MJF Charitable Foundation will fund the construction of a suitable facility which will include:

PROPOSED PROGRAMMES

The package of interventions envisaged by the SLFUW to graduates & undergraduates will include both written and spoken English, IT, leadership training, capacity building, facing interviews, grooming, and the art of writing applications / CV for jobs etc.

In addition to the programmes for graduates several programmes have been planned at community level. They include health clinics, programmes on reproductive health for young mothers, and non-formal education programmes for school dropouts.

SLFUW is unable to cater to these demands due to lack of proper building facilities to conduct these programmes regularly. Currently, the SLFUW conduct some programmes in hired premises but this is inadequate and expensive to be effective. Further, their rented office space, adequate only for discussion among not more than 3 or 4 persons, sitting amidst office equipment, is not conducive for carrying out an effective programme of work, leave alone all that they envisage. Facilities being available they have the capacity and competency to be able to implement an effective and efficient programme to benefit young women in Sri Lanka.

The MJF Charitable Foundation is privileged to be associated with the Sri Lanka
Federation of University Women. The construction of a Resource and Training Centre for the Federation is made possible by consumers and supporters of Dilmah Tea who are stakeholders in the MJF Charitable Foundation.