Grace Asirwatham appointed Chair of National Women’s Commission
COLOMBO – President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed retired diplomat Grace Asirwatham as Chairperson of the National Women’s Commission (NWC), following a recommendation by the Constitutional Council.
The appointment comes as the newly established Commission moves towards full operational status under the Women’s Empowerment Act No. 37 of 2024, which provides the legal framework for advancing, protecting and promoting women’s rights in Sri Lanka.
The National Women’s Commission, formally established in September 2025, is mandated to safeguard women’s rights and gender equality, investigate actual or potential violations of those rights, and promote women’s empowerment across the country.
Since its establishment, the Commission has been focused on building its institutional framework, administrative systems and operational procedures, while developing the human resources, physical infrastructure and digital capabilities required for its work.
Asirwatham brings decades of diplomatic and multilateral experience to the role. During her distinguished foreign service career, she served as Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Nepal, Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, and headed Sri Lanka’s Mission to the European Union. She also served as Deputy Executive Director of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
The commission comprises members Shreen Saroor, Janaha Selvarajah, Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala, Dr Padma Gunaratne, Dr Kalana Senarathne and M.U. Gayani, alongside Executive Director K. D Rosemary Olga.
With the appointment of its chairperson, the commission said it is now fully operational and committed to strengthening the protection of women’s rights and advancing gender equality and empowerment in Sri Lanka.
-ENCL
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