Creation and notable events
In 1992, an analysis of Sri Lanka’s economy concluded that the most adversely affected people by the neoliberal economic policies adopted in 1977 by the government were farming, fishing and plantation communities, and women in all those sectors as well as in the FTZ. In each sector, the problem faced by women were recognized as significantly different to justify individual attention. PEFDA, the People’s Forum for Development Alternatives was formed to collectively search for viable social and economic alternatives in each sector. A commitment to collaborate among sectors is the foundation of PEFDA’s activities. The establishment of a network of fisheries organizations in the fisheries sector lead to the formation of the National Fisheries Solidarity, which then evolved to become the National Fisheries Solidarity Movement (NAFSO). NAFSO represents the Small-Scale Fisheries Sector by covering Marine, Inland and the brackish water fisher communities, with a particular attention to wome