Capacity Building and Advocacy for Women's Participation in Grassroots Democracy in Sri Lanka is a project implemented by the International Training Office (ITO) at Northern Illinois University (NIU) in DeKalb, Illinois, USA, in collaboration with two other NIU units with an extensive field experience in university-NGO collaboration, namely the Faculty of Adult Education and the University Resources for Women. This two-year project is funded by a grant from the Office of Citizen Exchanges, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State. Overseas partners in this strategic synergy are four prominent women's NGOs in Sri Lanka: Agromart Foundation, Centre for Women's Research, Sarvodaya Women's Movement, and the Muslim Women's Research and Action Forum. The major goal of the project is to stimulate and build the capacities of the leaders of the above mentioned four women's NGOs in Sri Lanka to face new challenges and opportunities for strengthening women's participation in grassroots democracy. At the same time, the project intends to broaden the understanding and awareness of women's contribution to democracy strengthening among NIU faculty and graduate students who will be involved in project planning and implementation. The project is an empowerment process that leads to a responsible and active participation of grassroots women in democratic institutions. The project commenced in July 2002 will end in June 2004 and includes five phases: (1) laying the groundwork, (2) major capacity building program development, (3) program implementation, (4) capacity building for advocacy, and (5) action for project sustainability.

Northern Illinois University is confident that the knowledge, skills, and attitudinal changes the proposed project intends to instill in the participating leaders will have tremendous multiplier effects on the beneficiary communities. The alliance between NIU and the four NGOs in Sri Lanka will leverage significant resources, expertise, creative approaches and new technology to address women's role in democracy and governance. The project is an empowerment process that leads to a responsible and active participation of grassroots women in democratic institutions. Cross-fertilization among practicing leaders from different sectors in Sri Lanka, NIU and other regions in the developing world via many channels of communication is key to this process.