Women’s Political Leadership Programme

For as long as a decade, RECDO has envisioned initiating a community-led women’s political leadership programme. Ceylon/Sri Lanka saw women leaders at its helm for almost two decades. However, today the proportion of women’s representation in Parliament, as among local government remains just above 5% and 1% respectively. RECDO firmly believes that women in Sri Lanka, particularly its rural women from less affluent backgrounds, who are groomed in the right kind of environment, to develop with their own innate strengths and skills, could become excellent leaders in formal politics. The capacity-building project will commence in Kantale (as the pilot phase) before spanning the entire district of Trincomalee, and will be similar to the Club de Madrid’s African Women Leaders Project (AWLP).
Its cohorts would be drawn across women of diverse identities, particularly among those who have been affected during the course of the civil conflict and show promise of leadership capacity.  As a second stage, RECDO hopes to initiate a women’s political party through which budding women’s leaders may be represented. Apart from initiating the party, we expect the first generation of women leaders to take over the running of the party, with RECDO’s involvement in an advisory capacity. Women leaders who pass out from the programme are not necessarily restricted to joining the new political party. They may choose to contest under the banners of different parties – both on the side of the present ruling regime as well as the opposition – whether it is the UNFPA, SLMC, TNA, UNP or any other entity, which gives them a standing.

Donor: Funding/partnerships sought