Dilrukshi Handunnetti

Dilrukshi Handunnetti is an international award-winning investigative journalist and a lawyer from Sri Lanka. She has worked extensively across South Asia, both as an on ground reporter and trainer, dedicating much of her time to working with women journalists in the region.

As an investigative journalist, she has broken stories on grand corruption and crime, conflict and communities, and dedicated significant time to report on women, children, health and environment. Her work has appeared in UK Guardian, New York Times, Al Jazeera, The Humanitarian, Mongabay and many others.

A recipient of many prestigious journalism fellowships, she won the covered Wash Media Award in 2014 for reporting on MDGs (Monitoring Category) by the WSSCC and SIWI for her report on school sanitation and the impact on girl children. In 2012, she won Sri Lanka’s top most journalism award, Journalist of the Year.

Dilrukshi works closely with media rights and human rights organizations especially with a gender focus. She is the co-convener of South Asian Women in Media (SAWM) – Sri Lanka Chapter and functions as the executive director of the Colombo-based Center for Investigative reporting (CIR).