International Women’s Day Celebration – 8 March 2026
The Centre for Women & Development (CWD) celebrated International Women’s Day on 8 March at the Jaffna Public Library Auditorium. The event…
Jaffna, Sri Lanka · Since 1988 · மகளிர் அபிவிருத்தி நிலையம்
Improving the social, economic and political situation of women in Northern Sri Lanka
The Centre for Women & Development (CWD) works with women-headed households, war widows, displaced and war-affected women through advocacy and rights-based programmes.
1988Founded in Jaffna, when no other local organisation was dedicated to women’s issues
54,532women-headed households in the Northern Province documented in CWD’s data
150women trained in 2016 to contest local government elections
150persons with disabilities given livelihood support in 2019
Who we are
A resource centre for women, by women, in Jaffna
CWD was established in 1988 and became an autonomous, registered non-governmental organisation. Our main goal is to improve women’s social, economic and political situation locally, with an emphasis on advocacy and rights-based programmes.
Our field programmes first covered Jaffna, Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu. The conflict narrowed our work to Jaffna, where we stayed with displaced and affected women throughout the war. Since the war ended, our programmes have again reached women in Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar and Vavuniya.
What we do
Our programmes
From legal aid to livelihoods, our work responds to what women in the North tell us they need.
Women-headed households & widows
Documenting and organising women-headed families and war widows, with livelihood, counselling and group support.
Women’s land rights
Helping displaced women and widows recover documents and land, and researching land issues in the North.
Legal aid & ending violence
Jaffna’s pioneering free legal aid unit for domestic violence cases, legal clinics and anti-violence campaigns.
Awareness & training
Training on CEDAW, UNSCR 1325, the Domestic Violence Act and human rights for women, officials and students.
Peace & women in politics
Peace-building dialogues across communities and leadership training for women entering politics.
Children’s rights
Children’s rights courses, school awareness programmes, Children’s Day events and educational support.
Livelihoods & disability
Livelihood assistance, skills training and support for persons with disabilities.
Emergency relief
Dry-ration relief for families affected by floods and Cyclone Ditwah, with Ten for Tamils.
Latest
News & events
Dry-ration relief for flood- and cyclone-affected families
The Center for Women and Development assisted flood-affected families by distributing its first batch of dry ration packs to displaced victims…
International Women’s Day 2022
To celebrate the International Women's Day, the Centre for Women and Development in partnership with Search for Common Ground handed over an…
Children’s Day and Elders’ Day celebrated online – 1 October 2021
Mr Thatparan Jekanathan, Attorney-at-Law presented an introductory talk on ‘Child rights under the three decades’ and Dr Aaruthirumurukan, President…
International Peace Day celebrated online – 21 September 2021
The Centre for Women and Development celebrated International Peace Day on 21.09.2021 through an online meeting.
Children’s Rights and Child Protection System – certificate course
The Centre for Women and Development is conducting a three-month certificate course on Children’s Rights and Child Protection System through an online…
Follow us
Latest from Facebook
We share photos and news from our programmes, events and relief work on our Facebook page, often as they happen.
Our founder
Saroja Sivachandran
Saroja Sivachandran founded CWD in 1988 and is its Executive Director. She attended the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, and in 2017 she was elected to the Bureau of South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR).
With thanks
Partners & supporters
Our current work is generously supported by Ten for Tamils, Australia. Past partners include:
- Ten for Tamils
- WUSC
- ICTA
- National Peace Council
- European Union
- Search for Common Ground
- The Asia Foundation
- SDC
- DRC
- UNDP
- Australian DAP
Stand with women in Northern Sri Lanka
Partner with us, volunteer your skills, or support a programme for women-headed households, survivors of violence and their children.