Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is an island with a land area of 65,610 square kilometres55 and a population of 21 million, of which there are 52 percent women and 48 percent men. The child population below the age of 18 is 6,214,692.56.

The country maintains free health care services for every citizen in the country and has overcome many diseases like malaria, measles, rubella and many others. The maternal and childcare health services are free services that reach up to the community level, However, malnutrition is a critical issue affecting children in Sri Lanka with new-born children in marginalised communities suffering from dietary deficiencies.

The constitution of Sri Lank recognizes four religions, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity, but accord Buddhism the “foremost place” in the country. 70.2 percent of the population are Buddhist, 12.6 percent Hindu, 9.7 percent Muslim, and 7.4 percent Christian.

Religion is a compulsory subject at all schools following the Sri Lanka syllabus of studies. Different personal laws govern marriage, family, inheritance etc. for the various groups. The Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act and Islamic personal law governs marriages and divorces of Muslims while hesawalamai (Hindu) customary law often governs the division of property among Tamils. There is also Kandyan personal law governing civil matters, such as inheritance issues, and works within the caste system among Kandyan’s (a Sinhala caste from the central region).

In Sri Lanka, religious leaders’ forums and networks have proved effective to involve religious communities in promoting child rights, child protection and child development, creating a link between faith-based communities and existing child protection mechanisms and structures. In addition, the proactive engagement of religious leaders has reinforced the participation of adolescents and young people in violence prevention, peace and reconciliation in both urban and rural settings.