Research

The Care Economy and Decent Work in Sri Lanka’s Future of Work

Enhancing gender-inclusive socio-economic development (EGSD) in Uva and Central Provinces, Sri Lanka

CEPA team was selected to carry out the above-mentioned end-project evaluation by the Oxfam-led consortium. The team worked closely with young girls and boys both from estate and rural communities, women federations, local authorities, public bodies community-based organizations (CBOs) and private sector’s members to enhance socio-economic development.

Small Business, Big Impacts: COVID-19, SMEs and Fair Recovery

CEPA has been selected as a part of a Research Collaboratory currently conducting a regional study to understand the impact of COVID-19 on Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in the Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan. The study is jointly implemented by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Pakistan and Centre for Policy Research (CPR), India and is funded by Southern Voice.

A Final Light Review of UN Women’s component of the JPP “Strengthening the Social and Economic Empowerment of Women Returnees in Resettled Communities in Sri Lanka”

During this period, the inception report has been submitted and finalised, while the data collection component is ongoing.

Final Evaluation of Women in Leadership and Learning (WILL) for Search for Common Ground (SFCG) 

CEPA is conducting the final evaluation of the project “WILL – Women in Learning and Leadership: Strengthening Women’s Voice and Participation in Political Decision-Making in Sri Lanka” implemented by Search for Common Ground (Search). CEPA will evaluate the project and its design by looking at its relevance for the context in which it was conducted and whether the needs of the beneficiaries were sufficiently addressed by the project

Dissemination of findings of the study “Optimising Screening and Support Services for Gender Based Violence (GBV) and Trafficking In Persons”

The aim of this separate contract from The Asia Foundation (Sri Lanka)  is to disseminate the findings of the concluded study to a wider audience. In consultation with TAF-SL, a communication strategy was developed by CEPA. The proposed activities include hosting an Open Forum, developing a policy brief, a series of social media posts in CEPA’s platforms highlighting the key findings of the study (in all three languages), development of a motion-graphic and the dissemination of key findings in all three languages through the placement of at least three newspaper articles. In addition to these activities, multiple dissemination activities are planned both at the district as well as national level. Final output (motion graphic) is yet to be published.

ILO – Fisheries. Report for Advocacy with GoSL towards Ratification of ILO Convention C1888 – Work in Fishing Convention

CEPA has been contracted by ILO to carry out an assignment to advocate with the Government of Sri Lanka, to ratify the ILO convention C188 – Work in Fishing Convention, 2007. The objective of Convention No. 188 is to ensure that fishers have decent conditions of work on board fishing vessels that meet minimum requirements with regard to work on board, conditions of service, accommodation and food, occupational safety and health (OSH) protection, medical care and social security. The assessment aims to identify and assess (a) benefits that would be accrued to the fishing community in comparison to the current status (b) potential paybacks (e.g. greater access to export markets; brand reputation etc.) that Sri Lanka and national economy would receive upon ratification of this convention and setbacks/losses Sri Lanka would meet if this convention is not signed or if these conditions are not met and (c) Assess possible impacts (especially adverse) to other stakeholders (fishing boat owners, other connected sectors etc. and businesses). The assessment will involve a desk review stage, a series of key person interviews, a field research component in three selected harbour locations in Sri Lanka primarily for conducting Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with fish workers, their families, boat owners and other stakeholders, compiling of the work in progress report and final report and a final presentation to the project team.

Climate and Environment as Drivers of Conflict in Sri Lanka

This study was conducted for the British High Commission. The study set out to identify the drivers of climate-induced threats to human security and wellbeing and look at what happens when non-climatic factors interact with climate shocks – what is the level of vulnerability and what are the responses. The findings of the study will be used to generate a set of recommendations that address climate/environmental issues alongside peacebuilding objectives into the British High Commission’s future programmes.

Optimising Screening and Support Services for Gender Based Violence (GBV) and Trafficking In Persons (TIP)

CEPA was in a research partnership with The Asia Foundation (TAF) to identify promising practices and challenges in integrating or separating services for victims of human trafficking and gender-based violence. This is a regional study carried out with TAF offices in India and Nepal. The study aims to build on the Foundation’s existing work in the three countries on Trafficking Persons and specifically contribute towards the current need for intervention regarding trafficking in Sri Lanka. It is also believed that the study will provide a comparison of contexts in the countries which are countries of origin, transit and destination, and how each country deals with screening and providing support services for victims of trafficking in persons.

Co-creating Alternative Narratives; Mobilising Youth for Social Change. Consolidating Youth Voice to Counter New Forms of Violence through Alternative Communication Tools

The overall objective of the project is to counter new forms of violence arising in post-war Sri Lanka by enhancing voices of Sri Lankan youth, particularly by developing capacities of youth groups and networks to improve their representation and participation in decision making processes. This research cum capacity and sensitization initiative specifically looks at new forms of vulnerabilities faced by Sri Lankan youth across geographical, class, sectoral, religious, ethnic, gender and other divides that inhibit their voice and realisation potential to address the paucity of platforms and networks through which youth can express themselves and their particular challenges. The project aims to increase youth participation by creating momentum for alternative narratives and thereby, contributing to the body of alternative knowledge that can spur decentralised policy making. As part of the work, young researchers at CEPA together with a youth were engaged in a research fellowship programme to take the lead in creating research which can in turn affect policy through a participatory action research project to build alternative narratives surrounding youth radicalisation in Sri Lanka. This programme included a call for research projects, a selection process, matching of youth research with mentors – both internally with CEPA Senior Staff and with other academics and a year long process of mentoring along the way. They were also provided guidance on methods and engaged in discussions on the topic that was also on peer learning and exchange to create linkages among these researchers who were from different parts of the country.

This research activity utilizes a decentralized and participatory approach where youth are given a chance to take ownership of the advocacy and research they feel is required within their communities or focus areas that would contribute toward the betterment of society. The research projects were conducted under the broader concept of youth and radicalization. Researching new forms of vulnerabilities faced by Sri Lankan youth across geographical, class, sectoral, religious, ethnic, gender and other divides that inhibit their voice and realization of potential is a key objective of the project. In order to meet this objective, CEPA worked with four young research groups, facilitated through a research fellowship program, two commissioned studies and three studies headed by junior researchers at CEPA. CEPA has also conducted networking workshops in various parts of the country – to increase spaces of engagement and to address the issue of creating safe spaces for youth and as well as to increase aspects of youth leadership.

The project consists of a Youth Networking component. CEPA has conducted four networking workshops in Batticaloa, Galle, Jaffna and Anuradhapura. During these workshops, a predominant focus was placed on creating a safe space for youth from the respective areas to discuss the challenges and issues that they face. The workshops were structured in a manner to encourage youth to first list out a range of issues in groups. Then the issues were clustered and groups were requested to select the most pressing issues. They were further encouraged to understand the structural factors that lead to such issues whilst also encouraging how as youth they could spearhead addressing some of those issues.