Taking Up the Challenge of Women’s Empowerment
In the past several years, we can see that a remarkable change has been occurring in Sri Lanka. A society which is disproportionally dominated by male voices and perspectives, has seen and…
Gender
Celebrating Inspiring Women: A Message from Jayathma Wickramanayake
There is a social experiment that has been doing rounds close to Women’s Day this year. To help understand the human mind, participants are asked to solve a riddle and their responses…
Celebrating Inspiring Women: An Interview with Theshini Perera
For Women’s Day 2021, Groundviews interviewed Dr. Theshini Perera, a professional in the field of science who has broken stigmas held against women, proving that not only can women drive change and…
Tamil Tigers: Unfulfilled Promises of Feminism and Liberation
The Sri Lankan government’s Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Reintegration (DDR) program has invested in bridging former fighters’ transition from wartime to peacetime, but many aspects of the DDR program continued to pose problems…
Repairing the Past Through Gendered Reparations
The transitional justice process in Sri Lanka has come to a grinding halt. Reconciliation between the majority and minority communities has never before seemed such a distant dream as the government goes…
Eradicating the Barbaric Practice of Female Genital Mutilation
In a tribal region of Afghanistan, a sad 10 year old girl, heavily made up and veiled, sits silently at her wedding ceremony to a 70 year old man. In a rural…
A Tribute to Malathi de Alwis and Her Work
Malathi de Alwis, friend, mentor, teacher, feminist, anthropologist, birder, foodie and the most amazing cook, passed away on January 21. As we mourn this utterly devastating, untimely loss of one of the…
Reforms Needed to Combat Sexual and Gender Based Violence
In his presidential election manifesto, Gotabaya Rajapaksa noted that “Sexual and Gender Based violence has increased in our country”. However, during his first year in office, little has been done to introduce…
The Health Cost of Period Poverty
Inadequate access to menstrual hygiene tools and education, or otherwise known as period poverty, is not a phenomenon that only affects the developing world but is an issue that women and girls…
Everyday Traumas for Women Living in a Violent, Patriarchal and Misogynist Society
A senior policeman’s daughter accidently drove into a car showroom, causing costly damage. Her father was so angry that he went to the police station she was taken to and assaulted her.…
Eliminating Violence Against Women with Community Support
There have been a lot of politicians all over the world telling us that a nation’s security and economic prosperity are the most important factors in making a country great. Freedom from…
Extracting Labor, Constructing Power: The Right to Abortion
resurj Sri Lanka enshrines a right to universal healthcare but critically neglects women in this universal promise. Acknowledging that abortion is politicized through its economic and colonial history is crucial for recognizing…
Arrests and Harassment of LGBTIQ Persons
Sri Lanka is a nation of paradoxes; the land where millions identify as Buddhists, has also seen decades of bloodshed and war due to ethnic conflicts. In the folds of its rich…
Sexual Bribery: The Open Secret
Since 1971, Sri Lanka has been embroiled in two revolutions and a civil war that have seen families shatter, brutal death, homes lost, loved ones missing, economic ruin and psychological trauma. As…
Disproportionate Effects of Covid-19 on Sri Lankan Women
Sri Lanka has not been immune to the ravaging effects of the novel coronavirus, which emerged late last year and has affected millions worldwide. For the many struggling to cope with changes…
