The full UNICEF Sri Lanka-commissioned report entitled, 'Keeping Children in Sri Lanka Safe and Empowered Online: A study on Sri Lanka's digital landscape' will be released on Safer Internet Day, 6th February 2018 at 2.45 p.m. at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), Colombo 07.

The launch event will be followed by an expert panel discussion on the theme 'How can we maximize the potential of digital technology using the internet for the benefit of young people in Sri Lanka'.

The UNICEF in its annual flagship report released in December last year said there is a major disparity in internet access between girls and boys in Sri Lanka.

Drawing on data from the first-ever Sri Lankan national study into the online usage of 11 to 18-year old's, the UNICEF report highlighted a 'digital divide' that sees girls in Sri Lanka account for only a third of the adolescents using computers and mobile phones to go online. The report includes new data from Sri Lanka that shows major disparity in internet access between girls and boys, as well as exploring current debates about the impact of the internet and social media on children's safety and wellbeing.