Lakmali Perera joined LIRNEasia in April 2025 as Communications Officer where she supports the implementation of the organization’s communications strategy and contributes to amplifying its research and policy impact across the Asia Pacific region.
Prior to joining LIRNEasia, she served as Head of Communications at Hashtag Generation. Over her four-year tenure, she led strategic communications and advocacy efforts on key issues including freedom of expression, digital rights, gender equality, online harmful speech, and civic engagement. Her work focused on crafting counter-narratives and designing impactful communication campaigns aimed at driving social change and promoting inclusive participation in decision-making.
With over five years of experience in the development sector, Lakmali has worked with several civil society organizations, including the Center for Equality and Justice, the International Alliance for Peace, and the Youth Advocacy Network Sri Lanka. Her roles have spanned from freelance graphic design to strategic communications, with a strong grounding in human-centered design and visual storytelling.
Lakmali holds an Honours Degree of Bachelor of Design, with a specialization in Media and Communication Design, from the University of Moratuwa. She also holds a Diploma in Digital Marketing from the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Sociology at the University of Colombo.