The iconic Colombo Municipal Council building was illuminated in orange with messaging on the national women’s helpline and Mithuru Piyasa hotline today to place a spotlight on intimate partner violence and encourage more women to seek help.  

The illumination organised by UNFPA in collaboration with the Colombo Municipal Council and the High Commission of Canada, launched the 16 days of global activism against gender-based violence in Sri Lanka with a focus on intimate partner violence. The intervention is the culmination of a trilingual national media campaign on intimate partner violence highlighting evidence from the Women’s Wellbeing Survey (WWS), Sri Lanka’s first national survey on women and girls.  

The Survey found that one in five (20.4%) women in Sri Lanka have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner. Yet, close to half (49.3%) of the women who experienced sexual violence by a partner did not seek formal help anywhere. The survey also found that one-third (35.7%) of women who experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner had contemplated suicide; highlighting the serious repercussions violence has on the lives of women and girls. 

49.3% of the women who experienced sexual violence by a partner did not seek formal help anywhere

Violence against women can happen to anyone, anywhere so it is vital  that we talk about this issue widely. To both encourage more women to  seek help and ensure women and girls are aware of the support services  available to them within the Colombo Municipality and across Sri Lanka. I  am pleased to be collaborating  yet again with UNFPA to raise awareness  on this very pertinent issue Rosy Senanayake, the Mayor of Colombo

Encouraging more victims to seek help and ensuring support systems are available and accessibility is essential for the recovery and prevention of violence against women and girls in Sri Lanka.  

Speaking on the importance of collective action to end intimate partner violence Her Worship, Rosy Senanayake, the Mayor of Colombo stated “Violence against women can happen to anyone, anywhere so it is vital that we talk about this issue widely. To both encourage more women to seek help and ensure women and girls are aware of the support services available to them within the Colombo Municipality and across Sri Lanka. I am pleased to be collaborating yet again with UNFPA to raise awareness on this very pertinent issue.”  

Highlighting the importance of policies that take the evidence of the WWS into account Mr. Daniel Joly, Counsellor and Head of Development Cooperation, High Commission of Canada in Sri Lanka stated “The Government of Canada is committed to supporting Sri Lanka and several other countries to end all forms of violence. It has been a long journey but I am pleased to see the results of the WWS we supported come to light today in the form of crucial evidence. Surveys like this are an essential building block in working towards ending all forms of violence against women and girls.”  

UNFPA will continue advocating with its partners beyond the 16 days to encourage collective action to take the message of 16 days of advocacy forward to different audiences in Sri Lanka for a world free of gender-based violence and harmful practices towards women and girls ahead of the 2030 Agenda.