Women and Youth Empowerment Specialist

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. Our mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.

In Sri Lanka, we deliver this mandate based on principles of human rights and gender equality by advocating for rights-based gender responsive & transformative policies that enable the full realization of sexual and reproductive health and rights for all.

In Sri Lanka, 20.4% of ever-partnered women have experienced physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner. Despite progress in addressing gender issues, gender inequality has worsened, compounded by economic decline and rising poverty. Women's labor force participation is low, with only 36% of females employed compared to 74.5% of males, a decrease from 36% in 2015 to 32% in 2022. Additionally, only 7.7% of working-age women are in formal jobs, hindered by caregiving duties and associated costs. The 2022 economic crisis has intensified vulnerabilities, increasing risks of violence, unemployment, and reduced access to social protection for women and youth.

Women face a disproportionate impact from the economic crisis and debt restructuring solutions, exacerbated by rising living costs, social protection gaps, and food insecurity. They experience significant setbacks in wage and job security, with current reforms failing to address their specific needs. Women’s rights groups criticize the debt solutions for neglecting the lived experiences of the working class. Workplace issues such as discrimination, harassment, and unequal opportunities further hinder women’s participation and earnings. Evidence shows women are more severely affected by job and income losses, with informal job sectors making them particularly vulnerable.

UNFPA, with ILO and UNESCO implements a 24-month Peace Building Fund project entitled, ‘Social Dialogue for Peace and Crisis Prevention in Sri Lanka’. The project aims to foster a more peaceful and inclusive response to Sri Lanka’s economic crisis through enhanced social dialogue at both national and local levels. It will improve the effectiveness of dialogue mechanisms in the private sector and create more inclusive systems for the public sector. Policy and recovery efforts will be guided by evidence from marginalized communities, including women and young people, and local networks will be empowered to engage in decision-making. The project addresses ongoing post-conflict issues and economic challenges exacerbated by rising poverty and inequality, and anticipates disruptions from upcoming elections and strikes due to ineffective dispute resolution systems.

Under the direct supervision of Gender/Gender-based Violence Unit, in close coordination with the Sexual and Reproductive Health, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

Project Management: Oversee work planning, scheduling, and delivery of project activities during the initial implementation phase, ensuring deadlines are met with partners, government institutions, and other stakeholders.

Coordination and Advocacy: Manage UNFPA Sri Lanka’s project activities to advance advocacy priorities for women and youth, focusing on social cohesion, SRHR, gender, and cultural sensitivity, in collaboration with Gender and SRHR programs.

Partner Collaboration: Work with implementing partners to ensure activities align with UNFPA’s mandate and are effectively delivered at the community level.

Technical Support and Review: Provide technical assistance for training program development and policy briefs, review project data with a focus on gender and SRHR, and ensure quality standards.

Visibility and Reporting: Ensure project achievements are visible through the Communication team, design youth engagement activities, prepare monitoring reports for the initial project period, and perform other tasks as required by UNFPA leadership.


UNFPA Sri Lanka is hiring a UNV to support the CO’s work on facilitating social dialogue for peace and crisis prevention in Sri Lanka as a key part of the implementation of the 10th Country Programme of the Sri Lanka country office. Through the Women, Peace and Security Framework and the UN Resolution 1325, UNFPA will require a UNV that will advocate for the recognition of women's role in preventing and maintaining peace and security

The role involves overseeing the planning, scheduling, and delivery of project activities during the implementation phase, ensuring adherence to deadlines with partners and stakeholders.

It includes coordinating UNFPA Sri Lanka’s advocacy efforts for women and youth, working with Gender and SRHR programs, and collaborating with implementing partners to align activities with UNFPA’s mandate. The role also requires liaising with UN and partner agencies, providing technical support for training and policy development, working with local authorities, reviewing project data with a gender perspective, ensuring project visibility, and designing youth engagement initiatives. Additionally, it involves monitoring and field visits in central, north and western provinces.

UNFPA Sri Lanka is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need a staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results. In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.