Sri Lanka’s youngest change-maker honored at WYF’s closing

CAIRO – 10 November 2017: Being recognized as one of the youngest change-makers in the world at the age of 21, Sri Lanka’s Anoka Primrose Abeyrathne, was on the list of the World Youth Forum’s most honorable guests.

At the World Youth Forum (WYF) closing ceremony, Sri Lankan entrepreneur and award-winning Anoka Primrose Abeyrathne was honored by President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi.


Anoka Primrose

Abeyrathne was named amongst the world’s Most Influential and Powerful Young Persons in 2012 given her long-standing passion for promoting education and sustainable development. Abeyrathne is also British Council International Climate Champion.

Also, she was chosen as a Youth Ambassador with Office of the UN Special Envoy on Global Education. She holds a law degree from the University of London.

The now 26-year-old Abeyrathne, considered the youngest Commonwealth Youth Award for Excellence laureate, has partaken in the WYF session entitled “Women’s Role in Decision-Making Circles” where she highlighted her home country’s problems facing women’s development.

Regarding women’s issues in Sri Lanka, Abeyrathne explained that the heads of state in her country usually come from a political family, which highlights the need for women to become more engaged in decision-making circles and be granted more legislative rights.