National Languages Equality Advancement in Sri Lanka

This project aims to reduce poverty and improve economic and social equality of Tamil and Sinhala speaking Sri Lankan women and men by promoting language rights. It contributes to national harmony for citizens of different linguistic backgrounds by improving access to gender-sensitive government services such as health and police services in their first language and by enhancing the acceptance of the bilingual nature of their country. Project activities include: (1) assisting in the development and implementation of government department language plans based on the national strategy to implement the Official Languages Policy; (2) providing training to improve the bilingual language capacity and gender-sensitive communication skills of the civil service; (3) assisting in the development and implementation of a strategy and action plan for teaching Tamil and Sinhala as second languages; and (4) developing and managing a locally administered fund to support Sri Lankan civil society organizations in their efforts to promote language rights national coexistence and dialogue.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) strengthened implementation of the Sri Lankan Official Languages Policy by government actors in a gender-sensitive manner; and (2) enhanced acceptance by Sri Lankan women and men of the cultural diversity and bilingual nature of their country.