President Guide, Chamathya Fernando, is a student of Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo and is currently reading for a degree at the National School of Business Management. She was invited to be a part of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) delegation as a youth delegate at the United Nations Conference - 57th Commission on the Status of Women which will be held at the UN Headquarters, New York until March 15, 2013.
WAGGGS has over 10 million members across 145 countries. It is the largest voluntary organisation for girls and young women in the world.
The Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association (SLGGA) has been a member of WAGGGS for the past 96 years.
At the UN Conference, Chamathya Fernando who is 19 years old and who is a volunteer at the SLGGA will join decision-makers on ‘Stopping violence against Girls and Young Women all around the world'.
The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is a functional Commission of the United Nations Economic & Social Council (ECOSOC) which evaluates the progress on gender equality, identify challenges, set global standards and formulate concrete policies to promote gender equality and the advancement of women worldwide.
WAGGGS has official consultative status with UN ECOSOC and each year takes a delegation of young women from across its membership to represent the voice of girls and young women at the CSW Chamathya will contribute her project experience and expertise gained working at the SLGGA to the WAGGGS delegation during her attendance at the conference. Upon returning to Sri Lanka she will use the experience, knowledge and training gained at the UN CSW to help establish and develop a program on the prevention of violence against girls and young women through the ‘Stop the Violence’ campaign conducted by the SLGGA which focuses on empowering of girls and young women.
Chamathya Fernando is the youngest daughter of Mr and Mrs Christie and Lalitha Fernando.
- Extracted from Daily News - 5th March 2013
