Celebrating and rewarding local Sri Lankan women role models

British Council in collaboration with ChildFund Sri Lanka, recently concluded an exciting competition to celebrate the achievements of local Sri Lankan women in their communities. The She-roes role model competition encouraged Sri Lankan girls to recognise and celebrate the achievements of local female role models, nurturing appreciation for the remarkable women in their communities. Tailored for the English and Digital for Girls’ Education (EDGE) project peer group leaders and members, the role model competition served as inspiration for its club members, nudging them to dream and soar to greater heights.

 The award ceremony for the competition was held on 22 March 2024 at the Tower Hall theatre in Colombo. The event showcased the talents and creativity of EDGE club members all over Sri Lanka, and recognised the achievements of local women role models and the tremendous impact they have on their communities. Nayana Ashcharya, hailed as Sri Lanka's first visually impaired fashion designer, graced the occasion as Chief Guest.

The role models chosen by the girls spanned mothers, sisters, doctors, teachers and more. Each girl was tasked with choosing and depicting their role model. Then, they came together in groups of four to design a poster displaying all their role models. These posters were then judged at local club level, district and then national level.

“My warmest wishes to the women role models who were lauded and celebrated through this competition. It is a privilege to play a part in recognising the work that they have done and the importance they hold in their local communities. It is vital to spotlight positive role models for women and girls and empower them to realise their potential, while placing gender inclusion and access at the heart of their communities. The EDGE project has provided a safe space for girls to speak about the issues that affect them, empowered them to make more informed life choices and supported them to build the future they dream of,” said Orlando Edwards, Country Director – British Council, Sri Lanka.

 “ChildFund is pleased to collaborate with British Council for the English and Digital for Girls' Education (EDGE) project, an initiative dedicated to enhancing English proficiency, digital and social skills of adolescent girls from underserved communities. EDGE involves peer leaders to facilitate the learning of girls establishing the community-based girls club. It fills me with joy to witness the increasing confidence of these girls week by week. Empowering girls with English, digital and social skills is like giving them wings to soar beyond boundaries and reach for the stars. I extend my best wishes to these she-roes for their bright future,” commented Aditi Ghosh, Country Director - ChildFund Sri Lanka

Since 2023, the EDGE project seeks to improve the life prospects of adolescent girls (aged 13–19) in socio-economically marginalised communities in Sri Lanka. Through partner organisations, the British Council has established networks of non-formal community-based girls clubs to reduce barriers, develop girls’ English and digital skills and increase educational, social and economic opportunities. The project also aims to improve the leadership skills of selected peer group leaders drawn from the same communities of adolescent girls. The EDGE project covers Nuwara Eliya, Puttalam, Colombo (Slave Island), Monaragala and Matale districts. Through peer-led, community-based clubs, the project has enhanced the English proficiency, digital skills, social awareness and leadership skills of 720 girls and 60 peer group leaders in Sri Lanka.

About the British Council

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. We do this through our work in arts and culture, education and the English language. We work with people in over 200 countries and territories and are on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2022-23 we reached 600 million people.