Under the education component of the WFDD research project, two regional workshops for female religious leaders were successfully conducted in Trincomalee and Matara during August and September 2026. The workshops were held from 19–21 August at the Sarvodaya District Centre in Trincomalee and from 31 August–2 September at the Sarvodaya District Centre in Matara.

Following the successful completion of the initial two-day workshop in Colombo, the project team expanded the program to regional locations to provide female religious leaders beyond Colombo with opportunities to participate in the program. The regional workshops aimed to strengthen participants’ cross-cultural religious literacy, mutual understanding, and collective competencies for peacebuilding and social cohesion.

The two workshops were conducted in collaboration with Bandaranaike Academy for Leadership and Public Policy (BALPP), with the support of experienced resource persons with expertise in areas including faith, peacebuilding, reconciliation, religious literacy, and related fields.

The workshops brought together female religious leaders and faith-based community representatives from Buddhist, Christian, and Islamic traditions. The participant groups included Bhikkhunis, Catholic nuns, Moulavias, and female lay community leaders who are engaged in or interested in faith-related social and community work. The diversity of participants provided an important space for dialogue and interaction among women representing different religious and social backgrounds.

Over the three days, participants had the opportunity to build relationships and strengthen connections with women from different religious traditions. They shared their experiences, knowledge, and perspectives while learning about the beliefs, practices, and traditions of other faith communities. These exchanges contributed to greater mutual understanding and helped participants appreciate the importance of religious literacy when working in diverse social settings.

The workshops also created a safe and constructive environment for participants to discuss common challenges and explore how women religious and faith leaders can contribute to peacebuilding, reconciliation, social cohesion, and community engagement. By strengthening their knowledge of different religious traditions and developing connections across faith communities, participants were better equipped to engage with diverse communities and contribute to inclusive social development.

Participants expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to meet and learn from women representing different faith traditions. The regional workshops demonstrated the value of creating spaces where female religious leaders can come together, exchange experiences, develop mutual understanding, and strengthen their capacity to work collaboratively towards more peaceful and inclusive communities.