COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, June 19, 2025 — Expanding access to affordable and quality childcare could be Sri Lanka’s next big move toward creating more and better jobs. The World Bank Group hosted a high-level event “Childcare as an Enabler of Women’s Increased Economic Participation in Sri Lanka,” urging the importance of closing the childcare gap to enable greater participation of women in Sri Lanka’s labor market.
The Honorable Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, who endorsed the event, emphasized that enabling women to balance work and caregiving is not only the right thing to do, but also essential for economic progress.
To support the national efforts on care, the World Bank Group will be partnering with the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs to provide technical assistance on designing a strategic action plan for the National Policy on Child Day Care Centers. This will be supported by the International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) Facility for Investment Climate Advisory Services (FIAS) program. The World Bank Group will also be convening a multi-stakeholder childcare consortium, in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO).
“Childcare is one of the smartest investments we can make in Sri Lanka’s future. It delivers a triple dividend—creating opportunities for women to join and thrive in the workforce, supporting early childhood development, and driving job creation and economic growth,” said Gevorg Sargsyan, World Bank Group Country Manager for Sri Lanka. “By championing childcare, we can leverage childcare as a key driver of progress—for families, businesses, and the nation.”
Bringing together key representatives from the government, private sector, and civil society, the event featured a panel discussion that emphasized fostering public-private partnerships in childcare and making it an economic and social priority.
