About Us | Advocating for Women's and Children's Rights in Sri Lanka

About Us

Empowering Women, Transforming Lives, Building Futures

Founded in 1994, Savisthri was formed by a group of individuals previously affiliated with another organization. Despite facing numerous challenges, we laid a strong foundation with the goal of making a meaningful impact in society. On April 9th, 2001, we officially parted ways with our former affiliation and emerged as an independent, self-governed entity.

Savisthri is registered as a Voluntary Social Services/Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) under the National Secretariat for Non-Governmental Organizations in Sri Lanka (Registration Number: L44701). We are committed to working in collaboration with sister organizations to achieve shared goals. Our focus is on empowering individuals across various sectors including farming, fishing, plantation labor, and more as we strive to build a more just and equitable society for all.

Savisthri’s members include marginalized women from the farming, fishing, and plantation sectors. The organization facilitates their empowerment, enabling them to contribute productively toward improving their own lives. Savisthri focuses on women- and family-centered social development, working to secure stronger social, economic, and political footing for improved living conditions.

The smallest groups serve as the foundational units of the Savisthri Network. As these groups build their capacity, they are merged into mini-societies at the village level. These mini-societies, in turn, are organized into a district-level network known as the District Women’s Collective (DWC).

Our Vision

To build a sustainable and inclusive society that protects the rights of all ethnicities and promotes gender equality at every level.

Our Mission

To form a powerful women’s movement that leads sustainable development by strengthening and valuing local systems.

Our Strategy

Contributing to the revival of endangered cultural heritage and the natural environment, we strive to realize the harmonious co-existence of humanity and nature.

To empower women in order to reduce violence and social isolation they face simply for being born female, and to contribute to building an environment that upholds human rights and protects democracy.

To contribute to the establishment of a national alternative economic and consumer policy that leverages available resources, promotes self-financing at the family level, and supports village-level self-governance—with women at the forefront of leadership.

To work toward the realization of our vision by building networks with local and international organizations through information exchange and coordinated efforts.