– The President, on the recommendation of the Constitutional Council, has appointed retired Ambassador Grace Asirwatham as Chairperson of the National Commission on Women.

The National Commission on Women was established under the Women Empowerment Act No. 37 of 2024, which provides the statutory framework for the promotion, protection and advancement of women’s rights in Sri Lanka. The Act defines the Commission’s mandate and functions relating to the protection and advancement of women’s rights and gender equality, including the investigation of infringements or imminent infringements, of such rights.Since its formal constitution in September 2025, the Commission is currently in the process of operationalization. It is actively engaged in developing its institutional framework, administrative and procedural systems and in establishing the necessary human resources, physical and digital infrastructure and operational tools required for its effective functioning.

The Chairperson, Grace Asirwatham, served as Ambassador to Nepal, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, and as Head of Mission to the European Union. She also served at the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) as its Deputy Director-General, as an international civil servant engaged in multilateral diplomacy.

She is joined by Commission Members  Shreen Saroor, Janaha Selvaras, Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala, Dr. Padma Gunaratne, Dr. Kalana Senaratne and M.U. Gayani, together with the Executive Director K.D.R. Olga, who are collectively guiding the Commission through its current operationalization phase to ensure full operational readiness and the effective discharge of its mandate in advancing the rights and empowerment of women in Sri Lanka.