Call Us: +94112512846 - Mail info[at]mwraf.lk / mwraf[at]sltnet.lk

Our History.

Muslim Women’s Research and Action Forum [MWRAF] was started in 1976 by a few Muslim women who gathered together at informal meetings to discuss critical issues facing Muslim women in Sri Lanka. Later on we evolved as a formal organization in 1986 and registered as an NGO in 1990.

Our Journey.. Landmarks.. Our Motivation.. and Strategies

The story of MWRAF is the story of a few Muslim women who were grappling with many questions and having many dreams, and one day the dream became the reality! We work towards, a new path, a new vision, a new life to rediscover, reclaim, reconstruct. My life, Your life, Our lives.


Gaining Momentum (1986-1990)

Key Milestones

Founding MWRAF

First memo to MPL Reforms Committee

‘Challenge for Change’ (launch pad)

Muslim Family Law – Preliminary study

Legal Literacy Training (basics)

Motivation and Strategies

Public education (men and women)

Joint fora with Muslims & non-muslims

Signature campaign

MWRAF representation in (unofficial) MPLR sub-committee (1 women)

Building issue-based information/resource centre

Intensive training for out-reachers


Gaining Visibility (1991-2000)

Key Milestones

Ijtihad and the need for Islamic scholarship

WLUML international collective research

Second Memo on MPL reforms (1991)

Dialogues with Quazi judges (island-wide)

Para-Legal training (advanced training)

Building resource and documentation center

MWRAF representation in MPL reforms committee (2 women)

Motivation and Strategies

Publications/Newsletters (local languages)

Joint fora – activists and academics

Dialogues with Quazi judges (muslim family courts)

Publications widely disseminated

Resource center (refernce/archive)

Translations of selected publications in local languages

Media posts

Pool of barefoot counsellors

Local-national-international solidarity/links


Gaining Legitimacy (2001-2009)

Key Milestones

Engaging the UN CEDAW committee deliberations (MPL reforms lobby at the UN)

In-house legal family counseling

Expand legal case work & appeal cases (island-wide)

ICMPLR (people’s initiative – broad-based)

Mobile MPL clinics (initiated)

Mobile clinics (barefoot counsellors build competence)

Women’s drop-in centres (embedded within community, institutionalized PLCs)

Interaction with religious teachers (Islamic)

Intensive process-oriented mobilization (building field cadre)

Third intervention via IMPLR (Committee appointed by the Cabinet set up on MPL reforms)

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