Women’s labor force participation was one of the development challenges faced by Sri Lanka, constraining the country’s optimal utilization of its labor and human capital. Nearly one-third of women were out of the labor force despite their high access to education, limiting the country’s potential for economic growth and inclusive development. Sri Lanka sought to overcome economic challenges and foster sustainable development through inclusive labor market and human development policies. Understanding the barriers to female labor force participation and identifying solutions to overcome them was therefore crucial to ensuring that policies and investments were gender-transformative and boosted women’s participation in the workforce.

ADB commissioned a study, Exploring the Factors Behind Low Female Labor Force Participation in Sri Lanka. The study revealed that women’s labor force participation was shaped by a complex set of factors related to care work, gender and social norms, gender-responsive policies, and other issues. The study also offered recommendations and future policy directions to address the existing gaps in female labor force participation. In addition, ADB issued a policy brief that synthesized the findings of the larger study and presented practical and effective approaches for enabling women’s labor force participation in Sri Lanka.

ADB conducted a knowledge event under its Serendipity Knowledge Program (SKOP) for Sri Lanka on 3 June 2026 as a first step in its knowledge support to promote women’s labor force participation. The SKOP event provided a forum to discuss opportunities for advancing women’s economic participation in Sri Lanka, bringing together a wide range of stakeholders, including government representatives, industry leaders, international experts, academics, development partners, and others. The event provided an opportunity to explore collaborations, identify tangible actions, and prioritize further knowledge exchange to address gaps in women’s labor force participation. ADB expected high-level participation from key government sectors to inform the dialogue and identify further steps toward transforming Sri Lanka’s economy through gender-responsive approaches.

The knowledge event was jointly supported through Technical Assistance SRI: Knowledge and Innovation for Transformative Economic Solutions and the regional technical assistance Promoting Gender Transformative and Socially Inclusive Results in South Asia.