About Us
Get to know Vikalpani
Vikalpani National Women’s Federation (Vikalpani) is a women-led non governmental organisation committed to advancing food security, environmental sustainability, and women’s political, civil, and economic rights. Through research, advocacy, livelihood development, and documentation, Vikalpani empowers women to drive lasting change in their communities and build a more sustainable and just society.
Vikalpani National Women’s Federation is a non-governmental organization founded in 2001 by the Community Education Centre. It was officially registered in 2007 under the Voluntary Social Service Organizations Act No. 31 of 1980 and later re-registered in 2011 and 2018 under the same Act, with registration number FL 125012.
Our Vision
A society where sustainable and environmentally friendly livelihoods are established, gender equality is ensured, and patriarchal ideology, social, political, and economic injustices, poverty, and discrimination based on race, religion, and caste are eliminated.
Our Mission
To empower women by ensuring their civil, political, economic, and human rights while promoting sustainable livelihoods, environmental conservation, and food sovereignty through advocacy, research, documentation, livelihood development, and movement building.
The Vikalpani National Women’s Federation began in 1979 with Mothers’ Societies in Monaragala, initiated by the Community Education Center. These grew into regional organizations, leading to Vikalpani’s establishment in 2001 as a national federation advocating for women’s rights, agroecology, and grassroots empowerment.
The History of the Vikalpani National Women’s Federation
In 1983, a few women’s organizations which had joined hands to extend their support to the first women’s strike in the Polytex women worker’s strike formed a national women’s steering committee where Vikalpani was among the pioneer groups. In 1985, marking the end of the women’s decade (1975–1985), Chandra Hewagallage, head of CEC’s women’s section, and Anita Fernando as chairwoman and Poal Perera as executive director, initiated discussions with rural women about their issues related to gender, domestic and gender-based violence, women’s political participation and their civil, political and economic rights. This work strengthened the mother’s societies, which were restructured into women’s associations in 1984. By 1986, 25 women’s associations had been established across five districts.
The women’s associations, which functioned at the village level, came into common agreements in the process of their meetings to form women’s organizatios at the regional level. As their work evolved, five regional women’s organizations were formed, linking district-level societies. In 1988, the Uva Wellassa Women Farmers Society was established with 15 sub-societies in Okkampitiya. In 1994, the Rajarata Women Farmers Society was founded with 16 societies in Kekirawa, and the Eastern United Women’s Society with 18 societies in Kanthale. Diriya Women’s Organization was later formed with 14 societies in Galewela and Dambulla. In 2000, the Vanni Praja Shakthi Women’s Front was established, affiliating 16 societies in Thanthirimalee.
The founding members included Anita Fernando as National Chairwoman, Kusum Kaluarachchi as Chairwoman, Ruupa Jawardana, J.H.S. Malkanthi, and K.P. Somalatha as Vice Chairwomen, U.D.H. Sheelawathie as National Secretary, Chandra Hewagallage as National Coordinator, and R.P. Podimanike as Treasurer.
Since 1994, Vikalpani has been invited to participate in regional and global forums, representing the voices of rural women in Sri Lanka. It has been linked with platforms such as the People’s Coalition on Food Sovereignty, the Asian Peasant Coalition, the Asian Rural Women’s Coalition, and the International People’s Agroecology Movements. A significant milestone was becoming a member of the Pesticide Action Network Asia Pacific in 1998, which expanded Vikalpani’s scope of work in pesticides, agroecology, and women’s empowerment.
The decision-making committee is the governing body of Vikalpani, which comprises rural women. They are involved in the decision-making of programme development, network expansion, representation and more. Apart from the key members, one representative from each village where Vikalpani operates is connected in the decision-making committee.
Margarat Lili Salaman
School Teacher, Small scale women farmer
W.M.
Ayirangani
A trainer on agroecology, small scale women farmer
R.A.
Miyulin
A trainer on agroecology, small-scale women farmer
Ms. Rasaiah Kanageshwary
School Teacher, Small Scale Farmer.
