Deputy Minister of Public Security & Parliamentary Affairs, Hon. Sunil Watagala, Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka His Excellency Akio Isomata, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Sri Lanka Representative Mr. Kunle Adeniyi, Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security & Parliamentary Affairs Mr. D. W. R. B. Seneviratne, Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security & Parliamentary Affairs Ms. Damayanthi Karunarathna, Senior DIG – Western Province Mr. Sanjeewa Dharmarathna, DIG – Children and Women Abuse Investigation Range Ms. Renuka Jayasundere, Senior Superintendent of Police Kalutara Division Mr. Kavinda Piyasekara, Headquarters Inspector Mr. Ruwan Wijesinghe, and police officers from the Kalutara Division were present at the opening ceremony of the official handing over the newly constructed Japan -funded Emergency Waiting Area (EWA) at the Kalutara South Police Station marking another crucial step in strengthening Sri Lanka’s response to gender-based violence (GBV).
The establishment of the Kalutara South EWA was made possible with the funding of USD 34,000 from the People of Japan, and the construction was supported by World Vision Lanka.
The Emergency Waiting Area in Kalutara South joins a growing network of operational EWAs across Sri Lanka, including Jaffna, Mirihana, Pudukuduirippu, Nuwara Eliya, Mundalam, Batticaloa, and Kandy, where over 4000 women and children received support in the last year alone. These safe spaces serve as temporary resting areas, providing survivors of GBV with protection, psychosocial support, medical referrals, legal aid, and a survivor-centered approach to justice.
As part of this project, six more Emergency Waiting Areas will be established in the coming weeks in Dharmapuram (Kilinochchi district), Murunkan (Mannar district), Uppuveli (Trincomalee district), Opanayake (Ratnapura district), Walapane (Nuwara Eliya district), and Modara (Colombo district). These facilities reaffirm Sri Lanka’s commitment to tackling GBV and ensuring that survivors are not left without access to critical services.
