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Wednesday, 15 March 2017 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya called on all as a people, to resolve to ensure gender equality and equity, and safeguard the dignity of all women in Sri Lanka, ensuring greater protection and empowerment of all women in all spheres of society.
“While recognising the extraordinary efforts of women towards the prosperity and progress of our nation, I call upon all women to continue to strive hard towards the development of our country,” he said.
He emphasised the greater need for women’s participation in the political process. “There is reluctance on the part of the women to join the political stream in the country but in line with this good theme of the day that the WOMEN’S FORUM – Sri Lanka (WFSL) was holding its event on, I would like to call on the Sri Lankan women to ‘Be Bold for Change’ in this area as well,” he said punning on the event’s slogan.
He commended the work done by the WFSL, and made special note of the Group’s Action Plan underway that is showing positive results in the ‘Prevention of harassment of woman and children in the public transport system’ and he pledged full support for the projects underway and those outlined, for the future.
Speaker Jayasuriya commended the many partners of the WFSL and made note of the women’s organisation, Lanka Mahila Samiti of its glorious past and great service to the country and expressed that he was glad that it is seen now to be actively coming into the forefront yet again. “Fruitful results are sure to emerge considering the concerted efforts made towards the worthy projects WFSL has entered into, spreading also island-wide,” he said.
“Lanka Mahila Samiti’s partnering the WFSL in some of them, with the combined efforts, will only double the results,” he added.
Speaker Jayasuriya who arrived at the function sharp on the scheduled time despite having had to deal with a major unprecedented crisis that had erupted in Parliament, just an hour before, made these observations addressing the packed audience at the event, organised by The WOMEN’S FORUM – Sri Lanka,(WFSL) to mark International Women’s Day.
WFSL was also celebrating the Group’s first anniversary which fell on that day, on 8 March, at The Kingsbury Hotel, who was the venue partner, under the theme ‘Be bold for Change’ which was in keeping with the international theme, to mark International Women’s Day.
WFSL comprises of a group of professionals in different disciplines united as an Action Group espousing the cause of women’s empowerment. WFSL was partnered on this occasion by Lanka Mahila Samiti and Emojot as Audience Engagement Partner, and Co-sponsored by The Family Planning Association and The National Development Bank.
WFSL Founder and Convener Charnika Imbulana after giving an introduction of the formation of the Group, spoke of its mission and vision. A concept she said that lay dormant for quite some time and was spurred on, to form WFSL only subsequent to attending the first ever WOMEN’S FORUM held in 2015 ,on the sidelines of Commonwealth Head of Government meeting (CHOGM) in Malta at which she was a representative of Sri Lanka, nominated by the Commonwealth Society in Sri Lanka.
One other representative from Sri Lanka at the Malta CHOGM’s Women’s Forum, Sajeewani Perera who was the then, Assistant Director Women’s Bureau, was present in the audience at the event. She is now Director, Combined Service, Ministry of Public Administration and Management.
Imbulana read out the actions targeted and achieved within the year through a slide presentation of the said activities, and called on all to join the implementation process of the WFSL plans outlined for the future. “Other than the Action Plans and the implementation on those underway, fulfilling one of our slogans ‘Where the rhetoric has stopped and action has begun’ it is imperative that all of us, individual activists and all women organisations unite eventually, in accordance to one of our slogans, ‘Under one roof and on one platform’,” she added.
Towards that end within the year WFSL had made extensive progress, with the membership drive in the Gampaha District carried out publicly, four months into the launch of the WFSL and the Colombo District list swelling in numbers at Colombo events held. The WFSL members from the Gampaha District, in a show of strength were present at the event, led by their District leader, WFSL Focal point Kanchana Adipattu, who was applauded by the audience upon being announced for her on-going efforts on economic empowerment of women in the District.
Imbulana said although one can write or speak of the women’s issues to get the attention of the authorities, it is only in the action that follows, done together with those in authority, that the women at large would actually see progress being made, and would see real change. “Without the political will, decisions can’t be made. Whether we like it or not we will have to find a way in which to work with the relevant authorities for the Action Plans to work,” she said.
“Upon the approval obtained by WFSL’s Key Group member Dr. WIjemana for her Action Plan on Personal Protection, from the Ministry of Transport, the work commenced successfully. As per the directives therein by the Minister to the National Transport Commission, (NTC) and on the guidance of NTC Chairman Hemechandra, NTC’s Director – Quality Assurance Sherin Athukorale effectively and efficiently organised time slots on a monthly basis for bus conductors and drivers at their regular workshops for the interactive discussions on this subject,” she explained.
Athukorale arranged Junior Manager Inoka Liyanage for the coordination of the NTC, WFSL joint program on the ‘Prevention of harassment of women and children in public buses’. The first two sessions were effectively coordinated and conducted at the NTC Auditorium, Colombo 5 and the outstation sessions commenced in Kurunegala on 5 March 2017,” she revealed.
Paying a glowing tribute to the NTC’s efficiency, “To our delight we didn’t experience the usually slow work government departments are more known for; on the contrary they were even more enthusiastic than us,” she added.
Dr. Wijemana outlining the WFSL Action plan on Personal Protection said that it’s being implemented very successfully as planned and she too praised the overwhelming enthusiasm she was met with not only by the authorities like the NTC and SLCTB but also commended the eager proactive response from the bus conductors and drivers.
Wijemana spelt out the status of the first phase of the WFSL program in this regard. “The statistic of 90% of women being targeted as victims of sexual harassment and 97% revealing that the perpetrators being male was obviously an important reason we chose this area of gender bias and discrimination for action.”
“Harassment leads to inevitable psychological distress, while the victim has no control over the perpetrator, as he is not punished for the offence. 70% were aware of the hotline, but only 4% sought support from the police. Whether the police did anything or not is not known. Probably not in most instances as they regard such offences as ‘trivial’ compared to thefts, assaults and murder. This was the reason the women’s forum decided to deal directly with the transport authorities, as it is they who are primarily responsible for the protection of passengers, male or female, without any discrimination.”
“A recent study by UNFPA revealed the alarming statistics and unfortunately the victims were unaware that it was a punishable offence. The nature of the harassment ranged from unwanted physical contact to sexually orientated verbal and physical action, the latter being predominant,” she stressed. “A great deal of information was revealed through the interactions. Most agreed and even gave examples of common occurrences of sexual harassment. The majority were motivated to cease this gender discriminatory practice as long as the transport authorities supported them. The WFSL believes the theme this year of ‘Being Bold for Change’ really worked in this initial phase of this Action Plan,” she concluded.
The United Nations Office in Sri Lanka was represented at the event by Francoise Jacob, UN Resident Coordinator a.i. and UNOPS Director and Representative, Sri Lanka. She expressed her support of the UN in Sri Lanka for the initiative undertaken by the WOMEN’S FORUM – Sri Lanka to both prevent and respond effectively to harassment of women and girls in the public transport system, the high prevalence of which was highlighted in a recent study conducted by UNFPA,” she said
“The problem is not confined to Sri Lanka but is widely prevalent in most countries of the world both developed and developing. She said that UNFPA is the lead UN agency with regard to supporting the GOSL in responding to the key issues which have to be addressed. She was confident that collective action by state authorities, and Groups like the Women’s Forum Sri Lanka and others, many of whom were present at the meeting, working together could make a difference.
On behalf of a co-sponsor of the event, Family Planning Association Executive Director Thushara Agus was billed to speak. With the event having to commence half hour late, due to the protest of SAITM that blocked the way for most in the audience to get the hotel on time. She was gracious to forgo same in order to accommodate the scheduled time slot as it stood, for the Chief Guest.
Agus was also to speak of the many achievements of the Family Planning Association on women’s welfare. Incidentally the next WFSL Action Plan to be taken up is of WFSL’s key Group member, Dr. Pramila Senanayaka’s on 'Women and Health', who is also the Vice President of the Family Planning Association.
Shehara de Silva, a Director of Emojot, a co-partner of the event which is an emerging audience engagement partner spoke of the company work and its' originator Shehanni Markus and her remarkable successful journey in the IT world. NDB Vice President Delrene Seneviratna spoke of the National Development Bank’s perspective on women, the importance and the need for empowering women economically. Students of Ayurvedha Medicine of Colombo University, Rukshani Tharaka, Shivawanthika Roshani, and Janani Ranasinghe, and Nathalia Weerawardene who have enlisted with the WFSL comprised of the WFSL event organising committee, while Nathalia compered the event as well.
Pix by Ruwan Walpola and
Rushiru Tharanga
