Post-war Sri Lanka: Specific needs of sexual violence victims/survivors and children born of rape

Pressure has been building on addressing the needs of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) survivors in Sri Lanka, but political will is needed to deal with CRSV in a cohesive manner. The proliferation of National Action Plans and policies does not ensure their implementation. Resources need to be allocated for the specific needs of CRSV survivors to be addressed.

Cases of CRSV must be documented in a more systematic manner, maintaining the confidentiality of the survivor, so that these cases can be accessed as an evidence-base for future interventions. If the specific needs of CRSV are to be met, the first step is to ensure the proper compilation of records. CRSV survivors need immediate assistance so that they can move on with their lives. It is imperative that any State intervention must take into account the fact that CRSV survivors are from all three communities: Tamil, Muslim and Sinhala. Interventions must be tailor-made to cater to the needs of CRSV survivors from each community.