NPC will launch a new 15 month project to empower women in the districts of Gampaha, Kandy, Kegalle, Matara, Monaragala, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura, funded by the National Endowment for Democracy.
The Women Organized for Inclusion through Community Engagement (WOICE) project is intended to capacitate, mentor and strengthen selected groups of women civic leaders as activists contributing to reforming the state structure and introducing system change.
The project aims to amplify the women’s voices within the ongoing reform movement, strengthen women’s advocacy to include women’s issues and minority issues and to garner support and trust for women’s leadership.
As the first step, suitable organizations working with women empowerment were being identified to determine key women focused and led Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). This would ascertain women’s welfare and engagement focused statutory structures, informal structures and CSO structures in an area as well as identify suitable women leaders. The intention was to support a leadership to sustain the momentum for reform.
Thirteen activities will be implemented including training on democracy, pluralism and inclusion and nonviolent communication; meetings on issues and responses; discussions with women politicians, civic leaders and government officials; local campaigns on pluralistic democracy and accountability; exchange visits; and a documentary capturing women’s activism and role in creating a pluralistic and accountable democracy.