For over two decades the government of Sri Lanka has been actively committed towards gender equality and the advancement of women including working towards reducing gender based violence. The State commitment to issues particular to women came about during the United Nations Decade for Women (1975 to 1985) and specifically as a result of the International Women’s Year in 1975. In 1978 the government established the Women’s Bureau of Sri Lanka, the first ever national level machinery for women set up as a key institution under the then Ministry of Plan Implementation. In 1983 the Women’s Bureau was placed under the purview of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Teaching Hospitals - the first time a Ministry was created for women’s affairs. From then on the State commitment to women has shifted to several Ministries, the Ministry of Health and Women’s Affairs, and then as a singular Ministry of Women’s Affairs. In 2001, the Ministry functioned under the Minister for Development, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of the East, Rural Housing Development and Women’s Affairs. In 2004 it was combined with the Ministry of Social Services and known as the Ministry of Social Services and Women’s Empowerment. In 2006 the present Ministry was set up, the Ministry of Child Development and Women’s Empowerment. The Sri Lanka Women's Charter was drafted and adopted by the State in March 1993 and is the main policy statement by the government, regarding the rights of women, expressing the States' commitment to remove all forms of discrimination against women and address crucial areas relevant to women. The Charter stems from the CEDAW and DEVAW and aims at eradicating sex based discrimination and at achieving gender equality, and establishes standards to be observed in seven broad areas, political and civil rights, rights within the family, the right to education and training, the right to economic activity and benefits, the right to healthcare and nutrition, the right to protection from social discrimination and the right to protection from gender based violence. The Women’s Charter is seen as the first positive response by the Sri Lankan Government to securing the rights of women although CEDAW was ratified in 1981, over ten years before the adoption of the Charter. The most significant introduction to State machinery to work towards the rights of women made by the Charter was the setting up of the National Committee on Women in 1994. The National Committee on Women (NCW), a Presidential Committee, is facilitated by the provisions of the Charter1 which enabled the establishment of a fifteen member Committee to monitor the rights under the Charter. The members of the Committee are persons competent in several areas which are of particular concern to women, such as law, health, economic development, education, science and technology, and the environment, as well as persons who have distinguished themselves in voluntary organisations or in the sphere of women's activities. 1 Articles 17 – 23 81