About Us
We are a young-women led civil society organization creating safe spaces for dialogue and change.
What Is Sisterhood Initiative?
Our group was formed in 2020 in the aftermath of the incidents related to the Easter Attacks in Sri Lanka. Muslim women came under a microscope and faced extreme scrutiny for decisions related to their lives, bodies, clothing, etc. This sparked the need for a space where Muslim women could come together, catalyzed by a viral video posted on social media. This led to the formation of our group – Sisterhood Initiative. While most of our work revolves around issues faced by Sri Lankan Muslim women, we do so with the support of our non-Muslim friends because solidarity is crucial.
Our Core Pillars
Inspiring Female Leadership
We are here to inspire leadership among Muslim women through volunteerism.
Protection & Advocacy
We are focused on protecting and advocating for the rights of Muslim women in Sri Lanka.
Intra-faith Dialogues
We facilitate intra-faith dialogues and network-building among women in Sri Lanka.
Mobilization
Our aim is to mobilize young Muslim women from all districts in Sri Lanka to be active participants in decision making within their communities.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I join Sisterhood Initiative?
Ever since the pandemic, our registration and membership process work online. This is the link you can access to register with our group - bit.ly/registersi. When you're applying, make sure to describe your answers as much as possible because this will help our volunteers looking at the applications. If you are selected, one of our volunteers will inform you about this and include you into the relevant online groups that we use for communication. Here you will receive the latest updates and opportunities to engage in discussions.
I applied to join SI, but didn’t hear back. What can I do now?
Usually, our application process takes a few weeks to complete from our end. If you still haven’t heard back, it is possible that your application was not sufficient or meeting the criteria for selection. You can always REAPPLY and make sure to elaborate your answers. Even if you are not part of the group, you are still invited to join our discussions. Stay tuned for the updates we post on social media and join us anytime.
How can someone donate or provide support to the initiative?
Currently we don't accept donations for our work, however you can always support our work by dropping us an email to sisterhoodinitiativelk@gmail.com where we can discuss what kind of resources can be shared and collaborations are possible.
Is this group a religious/ faith group?
Sisterhood Initiative is not a faith-based or religious group. By definition we are a non-profit, non-political & non-religious discussion and volunteer group dedicated to understanding and addressing issues faced by Muslim women in the country. A lot of our discussion points touch on faith and religion, because it is impossible to separate these identities, however it is not the main objective in our work as we try to create safe spaces for young Sri Lankan women and girls to engage in intra-faith and inter-faith discussions.
Is it only for Muslim women and girls?
Even though most of out discussions revolve around issues faced by Muslim women, we also work in solidarity with our non-Muslim volunteers. An example of this is our Core Team which comprises volunteers from all faith groups. We believe that working together is the only way to achieve meaningful understanding and impact.
What does the leadership of the SI group look like?
Our group is made up of young women and girls belonging to all faith groups in Sri Lanka. The decision making is done within the core group which comprises 16 volunteers under the age of thirty. Our core team is divided into three heads of departments (operations, media and finance) while the entire team engages in discussion towards the decisions. We also have members of the past core group (alumni) and mentors who assist and support our work.
How can I stay updated on the work?
You can always follow our work online! We update our discussions on our online platforms, so feel free to stay connected with us Follow us on: