Source: Sunday Observer Ensure women’s rights and gender equality By Women and Media Collective There are selected issues concerning the rights of women that all political parties are requested to commit to address: Independent National Commission on Women There is an urgent need to set up a strong formal institution with legal powers to address … Continue reading To all political parties: These are our concerns
13th July, 2015 We the undersigned Sri Lankan civil society activists and organizations, wish to bring to your attention human rights issues of pivotal importance to reconciliation, unity, peace and prosperity in our country, which we strongly believe should be included in your party manifestos for the forthcoming General Election. During the campaign period leading … Continue reading Open Letter to all Political Parties – Key Pledges to be included in Manifestos
As President Maitripala Sirisena’s draft of the 20th Amendment is scheduled to be presented to the cabinet today a special media briefing on the representation of women in politics was organised by the Women and Media Collective yesterday, 3rd of June, in Colombo. Followed by continued campaigning by women’s groups in the country a provision … Continue reading Media Breifing: Women’s political representation
The Women and Media Collective together with other women’s organisations have been campaigning to increase the representation of women at local, provincial and national level for over 15 years. The current electoral reform process, which is a measure to strengthen representative democracy, should provide an opportunity to increase women’s representation in the Parliament of Sri … Continue reading Discussion on the 20th Amendment to the constitution with CAFFE, Sri Lanka
RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY WOMEN’S GROUPS TO THE 20TH AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION CURRENTLY UNDER DISCUSSION Women in Sri Lanka have had the right to vote from as early as 1931, but very little opportunity to become the people’s elected political representatives—in either Parliament or in Provincial or Local Government. This fact has been highlighted worldwide … Continue reading Political Representation of Women: Ensuring 25% Increase
This manual was developed with feedback of 40 trade union female members of 20 trade unions who belong to the Trade Union Women United network coordinated by Women and Media Collective. The manual is available in the Sinhala and Tamil languages. Through this manual users can obtain similar levels of knowledge, attitudes and skills and … Continue reading Training of Trainers manual on leadership for women in Trade Unions of Sri Lanka
The awards for the winning short films of the Women and Media Collectives short film competition were presented at the opening ceremony of WMC’s 30th anniversary exhibition on the 10th of February 2015. This year first place went to J.P. Kusum Jayaweera for ‘Weegawath Gahaniya’ (Speed Woman). Kusum is a nurse from the Anuradhapura teaching … Continue reading WMC Short Film Competition 2014
Women’s rights groups from all parts of Sri Lanka made it happen on the streets of Colombo to mark International Women’s Day 2015. On the 9th of March, women’s groups were demanding for an increase in political representation for women by introducing at least a 25% quota in all political bodies and to establish an … Continue reading IWD 2015: International Women’s Day March
On International Women’s Day as Women and Media Collective celebrates 30 years of activism we take a moment to celebrate the life of founder Sunila Abeysekara. Source: Isis International Why Sunila loved March 8th I visited Sunila around 8th March 2013 to spend some time with her after she’d been diagnosed with Stage IV cancer. … Continue reading IWD 2015: Celebrating the life of our founder Sunila Abeysekara
Petition The establishment of an Independent Women’s Commission was first proposed by women activists and advocates as far back as 1991. Since then a number of proposals have been made by successive governments to statutorily establish such a Commission. In 2003, the United National Front government, headed by the UNP, drafted a Women’s Rights Bill. … Continue reading A New Sri Lanka for Women: establishing an Independent Women’s Commission