In Sri Lanka, women in various sectors face significant economic and social discrimination, including lowwages without benefits, especially in Free Trade Zones and the agriculture and fisheries sectors. Many women, particularly those in marginalized communities, are subjected to exploitative labor practices, lack of legal protection, and limited access to essential services like housing. Social norms restrict their participation in activities like fishing and agriculture, while unequal pay persists even when doing equivalent work; per hour, women’s wages are lower by 50 rupees. Women-headed households face additional barriers due torestrictive eligibility criteria for social security and other government support, along with negative social attitudes. Marginalization continues in sectors like fishing, where there is little government support for postharvest technologies which would allow women to develop their livelihoods. Furthermore, large producers have a very dominant position over the markets, making it difficult for women to sell their products. Additionally, military land seizures contribute to the deprivation of agriculture and animal husbandry livelihoods for women-headed households since the owneCEDAW Article 11 Templatership of the land is typically in the husband’s name. Inadequate legal protections for domestic workers exacerbate servitude, while families facing economic challenges contribute to high dropout rates and child labor, such as domestic or store labor, which exposes them to violence and exploitation.