HUMAN RIGHT COMMISSION OF SRI LANKA - Annual report 2020 HUMAN RESOURCES, ADMINISTRATION, AND FINANCE 7.1. Staff development programmes Since the tenure of the outgoing Commission began in October 2015, HRCSL has strived to develop professional excellence and capacity of the staff. The newly appointed Commission too has striven to maintain the same momentum. The Commission understands that institutional excellence is essential to respond effectively to violations of human rights and promote human rights. Therefore, the staff of both the head office and regional offices are encouraged and required to benefit from the many training opportunities available, both locally and internationally, to improve their professionalism, efficiency, understanding of challenges, and the ability to utilize their skills to provide assistance to the communities they serve. Due to international travel restrictions imposed at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the staff could not avail of international training opportunities. 7.1.1 Local training opportunities  A Training of Trainers workshop on gender was held from 24-28 February 2020 under the theme “women’s rights are human rights”. The objective of the workshop was to enhance the knowledge and capacity of the HRCSL staff of both the Head Office and regional offices on issues of gender. The training benefited from experienced resource persons who have had extensive exposure as trainers.  A training programme on countering technology-based violence against women was held for regional coordinators of the HRCSL on 06 March 2020. The objective of the training was to sensitize the participants on the implications of the rapid advancements in and accessibility of technology on violence against women and how electronic communication technology could be used to enhance intervention and prevention efforts to end violence against women. 93