According to the UN Women in Sri Lanka, while the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgency of economic empowerment for women and girls all over the world, there is a particular urgency to address the challenges being faced by female-headed households, which make up over a quarter of Sri Lankan homes.

Tharshani, now 45, had already been struggling to make ends meet since her husband died 15 years ago due to the conflict. But since the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns that started last year, her income from poultry farming has dropped, and her eldest daughter, who they relied on for household expenses, has found no daily-wage work.

“During the lockdown we had to take loans from our neighbors,” said Tharshani (not her real name). “We were struggling to find money for food, and my son had to go to school every day without breakfast. I was afraid he might not be able to continue his education,” said the mother of three.

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