Ministry of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment

The Ministry of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment^[6] (Sinhala: කාන්තා, ළමා කටයුතු හා සමාජ සවිබලගැන්වීම් අමාත්‍යාංශය, romanized: Kānthā, Ḷamā Kaṭayutu Hā Samāja Savibalagănvīm Amātyāṃśaya; Tamil: மகளிர், சிறுவர் அலுவல்கள் மற்றும் சமூக வலுப்படுத்துகை அமைச்சு) is the Sri Lankan government ministry responsible for "Formulating, executing and regulating provisions and policies aligned to practices of good governance to ensure the rights of children and women by empowering socio-economic conditions, instilling values and ensuring participation through strategic integration with all stakeholders leading to a dignified nation".

Ministry of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment

කාන්තා, ළමා කටයුතු හා සමාජ සවිබලගැන්වීම් අමාත්‍යාංශය மகளிர், சிறுவர் அலுவல்கள் மற்றும் சமூக வலுப்படுத்துகை அமைச்சு
Agency overview
Formed	1997; 28 years ago (1997) as a separate ministry[1]
Jurisdiction	Government of Sri Lanka
Headquarters	3rd and 5th Floor, Sethsiripaya Stage II, Battaramulla, Sri Lanka
Annual budget	LKR 14.134 Billion (2025)[2][3]
Minister responsible	Saroja Savithri Paulraj
Deputy Minister responsible	Namal Sudarshana
Agency executives	Mrs. Yamuna Perera[4], Secretary Mr. J. P. S. Jayasinghe[5], Director General
Child agencies	Children's Secretariat Department of Probation & Child Care Services National Child Protection Authority National Committee on Women Women’s Bureau
Website	Official website

Overview

Vision:^[7]

A strong nation of women and children with ensured rights that contributes towards sustainable development.

Mission:^[7]

To formulate,implement,monitor,evaluate and co-ordinate policies and programmes required for the physical and human resource development with a concerted approach in order to create an empowered conductive environment that ensures social, economic and cultural development and rights of women and children.

List of ministers

The Minister of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment is an appointment in the Cabinet of Sri Lanka.

Parties

  Sri Lanka Freedom Party   United National Party   Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna   National People's Power

Name		Portrait	Party	Title	Tenure	President
	Sumedha Jayasena		Sri Lanka Freedom Party	Minister of Women Affairs & Social Welfare	19 October 2000 - 14 September 2001		Chandrika Kumaratunga
	Ferial Ashraff		United National Party	Minister of Development, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of the East, Rural Housing Development and Women's Affairs	14 September 2001 - 10 April 2004		Chandrika Kumaratunga
	Sumedha Jayasena		Sri Lanka Freedom Party	Minister of Child Development & Women's Empowerment Minister of Parliamentary Affairs	10 April 2004 - 23 April 2010		Mahinda Rajapaksa
	Tissa Karalliyadde		Sri Lanka Freedom Party	Minister of Child Development and Women's Affairs	23 April 2010 - 9 January 2015		Mahinda Rajapaksa	[8]
	Chandrani Bandara Jayasinghe		United National Party	Minister of Women's Affairs Minister of Women and Child Affairs	12 January 2015 - 21 November 2019		Maithripala Sirisena	[9]
	Pavithra Wanniarachchi		Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna	Minister of Women & Child Affairs and Dry Zone Development Minister of Women & Child Affairs and Social Security	22 November 2019 - 11 August 2020		Gotabaya Rajapaksa	[10]
	Piyal Nishantha de Silva		Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna	State Minister of Women and Child Development, Pre-schools & Primary Education, School Infrastructure & Education Services	12 August 2020 - 09 May 2022		Gotabaya Rajapaksa	[11]
	Ranil Wickremesinghe		United National Party	Minister of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment	4 November 2022 - 24 September 2024		Ranil Wickremesinghe	[12]
	Harini Amarasuriya		National People's Power	Minister of Women, Child and Youth Affairs and Sports	24 September 2024 - 17 November 2024		Anura Kumara Dissanayake	[13]
	Saroja Savithri Paulraj			Minister of Women and Child Affairs	18 November 2024 - Present			[14]

History

History of the Ministry[7]	Year
Women's Bureau in Sri Lanka was 1st established under the Ministry of Plan Implementation	1978
Women's Bureau in Sri Lanka was re-established under the Ministry of Women's Affairs and Teaching Hospital	1983
Ministry of Women's Affairs. (Separate Ministry)	1997
Ministry of Women Empowerment and Social Welfare	2004
Ministry of Child Development and Women's Empowerment	2006
Ministry of Child Development and Women's Affairs	2010
Ministry of Women's Affairs.	2015
Ministry of Women and Child Affairs	2015
Ministry of Women & Child Affairs and Dry Zone Development	2018
Ministry of Women & Child Affairs and Social Security	2019
State Ministry of Women and Child Development, Pre-schools & Primary Education, School Infrastructure & Education Services	2020

See also

• Ministries of Sri Lanka