A consultation with Kare Vollan, an expert on electoral reforms, was held yesterday to discuss the prospects of increasing political representation of women in parliament in the current context of constitutional and electoral reforms. For the first time the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe has proposed reforms that will ensure a substantive increase … Continue reading Increasing women’s political representation: a discussion on current reforms

A group of human rights law students from the University of Colombo and the Gallatin School, New York visited Women and Media Collective to learn more about WMC’s role in addressing women’s rights issues in Sri Lanka and its applicability in achieving gender equality. Women in politics, women in trade unions, migrant workers rights and … Continue reading University students from New York and Colombo visit WMC

The 2014 women’s photography exhibition by Women and Media Collective was held alongside WMC’s 30th anniversary exhibition Women’s Struggles, Women’s Pride. From the 11 – 13th of February 2015 the photography exhibition was open for viewing at the Public Library Hall in Colombo. It featured the work of nearly 30 female photographers, amateur and professional, … Continue reading WMC Women’s Photography Exhibition 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

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

The recently concluded 16 days of Activism against Gender Based Violence global campaign in Sri Lanka was a unitary effort by members of the GBV Forum. During the 16 days the Gender Based Violence Forum or GBV Forum had organised several activities and events in the country for the year 2014. The online campaign in … Continue reading 16 Days of Activism against GBV 2014 campaign

After an extensive selection process with our panel of judges the photographers for the WMC Women’s photography exhibition 2014 have been selected. In celebration of Women and Media Collective 30 years of activism the photography exhibition will be held alongside WMC’s anniversary exhibition which will highlight women’s struggles and achievements in bringing about a right’s … Continue reading Selected photographers: WMC Women’s photography exhibition 2014

In preparation for the South Asia Consultation for Beijing+20, women’s civil society organisations in Sri Lanka came together to discuss Sri Lanka’s situation within the context of the Beijing Declaration Platform for Action (BPFA). Held on the 9th of October at CENWOR in Colombo the Sri Lanka consultation for Beijing+20 highlighted five critical areas of … Continue reading Sri Lanka Consultation for Beijing+20

Following the success of our previous exhibitions and the positive responses generated, Women and Media Collective is calling all female photographers of Sri Lanka to send in their entries for the women’s photography exhibition. This event offers a unique opportunity to exhibit the work of female photographers engaging in a profession that remains primarily dominated … Continue reading Call for Submissions: WMC Women’s Photography Exhibition 2014 (Postponed)

Civil Society organisations staged a protest rally in front of the Colombo Fort railway station yesterday against the circular issued by the Secretariat under the Ministry of Defence repressing all NGO’s from conducting conferences, workshops, trainings for journalists and issuing press releases without prior approval. They demanded that the government “Keep hands off civil society” … Continue reading Keep hands off Civil Society