Who We Are

The Centre for Gender Equity/Equality (CGEE) is the implementation arm of the UGC Standing Committee on Gender Equity/Equality. The Standing Committee is the standard setter, policy maker, regulator and arbitrator of UGC policy on gender equity / equality in Sri Lankan Universities. The Centre for Gender Equity/Equality is headed by a Director and administrative staff who reports back to the Standing Committee.

Gender equity recognizes the differences between men and women depending on their biological sex, their gendered life experiences as well as their social distinctions / intersections. Consequently, men and women have to be treated equitably so as to ensure the fulfillment of these differing needs, interests and priorities. Equity is expected to provide for fairness and justice.

Gender equality is the notion that men and women are similar; that they have common needs, interests, and priorities based on their humanity that should be treated equally via equal rights, freedom, status, responsibilities, opportunities, access to resources and benefits, and control over them. Equality is understood as equal valuing by society of the similarities and differences of men and women and the roles they play without any discrimination.

The Centre for Gender Equity/Equality is founded on the simultaneous conceptualization of gender equity / equality. This means that both the similarities of men's and women's life experiences as well as the differences in their life experiences are taken into account in conceptualizations and discussions about gender.