CARE International’s history in Sri Lanka
CARE International began working in Sri Lanka in 1950. We initially focused on supporting communities facing poverty, especially in rural areas, with food aid and community welfare.
However, Sri Lanka’s civil war (1983–2009) pushed millions of people into needing urgent humanitarian assistance. So, CARE and our partners expanded our work to include emergency responses. We helped provide shelter, water, sanitation, livelihood recovery, and other forms of support to communities affected by the conflict.
CARE Sri Lanka and our partners also played a critical role in responding to other major national crises, including the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
In 2016, CARE Sri Lanka – known today as Chrysalis - became one of CARE International’s 20 Members and Affiliates. Our current focus has shifted back to long-term development. However, we stand ready to respond in case another humanitarian crisis hits the country.
Chrysalis and partners' work in Sri Lanka today
Chrysalis empowers women and young people to overcome barriers and contribute to Sri Lanka's development through community-led, inclusive solutions. By partnering with diverse stakeholders, we address inequality, promote peace, and build resilient systems for a more just and equal future.
We focus on six main areas:
Inclusive governance
Promoting equal participation and leadership of women, young people, and marginalised communities in civic, political, and institutional decision-making processes.
Inclusive business
Enabling women and young people to access, lead, and benefit from resilient and inclusive economic systems. We help achieve this through entrepreneurship, decent work, and market opportunities.
Climate justice
Advancing the fight against climate change impacts, seeking equality between women and men, girls and boys. We help strengthen communities’ resilience, promote low-carbon development, and ensure vulnerable communities influence climate policy.
Ending violence against women and girls
We help strengthen all key systems- legal, healthcare, social support, educational, and economic - to protect survivors, challenge harmful social norms, and promote long-term safety and equality.
Building peace
Fostering social cohesion and reconciliation between communities affected by conflict. We help achieve this by addressing the root causes of division and empowering women and youth as agents of sustainable peace.
Emergency preparedness and response
Strengthening communities’ capacity to predict, withstand, and recover from humanitarian crises. As in all we do, women and girls are at the centre of these processes. We help ensure their specific needs are met and they take part in decision-making.
Partnering with national organizations and communities is key to putting this work into practice. We work together with national NGOs and community leaders to design and implement social changes fit for their main needs.
Focus on women and girls
Gender equality is at the core of Chrysalis’ mission. Most of our work focuses on advancing the rights and leadership of all women and young people. Chrysalis and our partners help strengthen their skills as leaders, decision-makers, and agents of change within their communities and across Sri Lanka.
Making the economy work for women
Promoting Economic Justice for Women (PEJW) is a flagship project that exemplifies our commitment to advancing gender equality and making the economy work for women in Sri Lanka.
Through the establishment of the Women Mean Business Coalition, we are tackling systemic barriers faced by women entrepreneurs in the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector. By engaging key stakeholders—government, private sector, financial institutions, and civil society—the project is reshaping policies, financial ecosystems, and market access, with a focus on empowering women-led MSMEs to thrive on equal terms.
The project addresses critical issues such as gender-based violence, access to finance, market opportunities, and climate resilience. It directly benefits nearly 350,000 women entrepreneurs across the country, especially those in underserved and post-conflict regions.
By fostering a national coalition, promoting inclusive policies, and expanding financial services tailored to women, PEJW is not only contributing to women’s economic empowerment but also driving lasting change in Sri Lanka’s economic landscape, supporting the country’s broader recovery and growth.
Learn more about Chrysalis’s work here.
