Category: Gender and Sexuality

In celebration of decriminalizing section 377 in India

Photograph: AFP The Women and Media Collective applauds and celebrates the long years of committed struggle that led to the reading down of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that criminalized homosexual behavior between consenting adults. This outcome is the result of a long legal struggle, marked with a succession of petitions which were … Continue reading In celebration of decriminalizing section 377 in India

It’s Not her Midriff (or her Arms or Legs), it’s You!

Source: catseyesrilanka Nearly 20 years ago, Cat’s Eye[1] wrote about the peculiar stereotypes expected of ‘good Sri Lankan women’ who are also not just women, but ‘wives and mothers of the nation’. This column drew public attention several times to the sexist double standards and the quick and ready social stigma that follows if and … Continue reading It’s Not her Midriff (or her Arms or Legs), it’s You!

Sri Lanka consultation on CEDAW shadow report

A consultation focusing on the Sri Lanka Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (LBT) shadow report, submitted to Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) at the Sixty-sixth session, was held in Wadduwa recently. The consultation brought together rights activists and members of women’s rights and LGBT organisations to discuss the contents of the report … Continue reading Sri Lanka consultation on CEDAW shadow report

CEDAW ඡායා වාර්තාව: ශ්‍රි ලංකාවේ සමකාමී කාන්තාවන්, ද්විලිංගික කාන්තාවන් සහ සංක්‍රාන්ති සමාජභාවී පුද්ගලයන්ට එරෙහි වෙනස් කොට සැලකීම.

CEDAW ඡායා වාර්තාව: ශ්‍රි ලංකාවේ සමකාමී කාන්තාවන්, ද්විලිංගික කාන්තාවන් සහ සංක්‍රාන්ති සමාජභාවී පුද්ගලයන්ට එරෙහි වෙනස් කොට සැලකීම 2018 පෙබරවාරි මස 13 සිට මාර්තු මස 03 දක්වා ස්විස්ටර්ලන්තයේ ජිනීවා නුවර පැවති කාන්තාවන්ට එරෙහි සියලූ‍ ආකාරයේ වෙනස් කොට සැලකීම් මුලිනුපුටා දැමීම සඳහා වන කමිටුවේ (CEDAW) 66 වන සැසි වාරයට ඉදිරිපත් කරන ලදී. ඉදිරිපත් කිරීම ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාවේ, කාන්තාව සහ මාධ්‍ය … Continue reading CEDAW ඡායා වාර්තාව: ශ්‍රි ලංකාවේ සමකාමී කාන්තාවන්, ද්විලිංගික කාන්තාවන් සහ සංක්‍රාන්ති සමාජභාවී පුද්ගලයන්ට එරෙහි වෙනස් කොට සැලකීම.

(Petition) The Rape and Murder of 8 year old girl in India: Women’s Groups and Activists Express Concern

25th April 2018 H.E. Taranjit Singh Sandhu High Commissioner High Commission of India Colombo 3. Your Excellency, The Rape and Murder of 8 year old girl: Women’s Groups and Activists Express Concern We are deeply disturbed by the recent events in Rasana, in the Kathua district of Kashmir and shocked by the fact that a … Continue reading (Petition) The Rape and Murder of 8 year old girl in India: Women’s Groups and Activists Express Concern

Combating domestic violence against LBT people – OutRight

Source: OutRight International Dear Friend, Since 2016, OutRight has been working with our Sri Lankan partner Women’s Media Collective (WMC) to address issues of domestic and family violence against lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. OutRight’s research has shown that in Sri Lanka almost all LBT people interviewed for a 2014 report experienced family violence, over … Continue reading Combating domestic violence against LBT people – OutRight

Pushing for a “feminist transformation of power” in Sri Lanka

Click here to listen to the interview The situation for women in Sri Lanka is not optimal. However, grassroots organizations, such as the Women and Media Collective, are working hard to remedy that – challenging patriarchal norms and advocating for policy change. At the UN for the Commission on the Status of Women, Programme Director … Continue reading Pushing for a “feminist transformation of power” in Sri Lanka