When the Pandemic is a Portal to Militarization
Image courtesy the “11 years later: Back on the Frontlines, Fighting for You” announced an article by Gagani Weerakoon on Ceylon Today on the 23rd of May. She went on to draw…
Gender
Easter Sunday Attacks: Phobias, Prejudices, and a Paradox
The Easter Sunday attacks were brutal and unprecedented. It surfaced communal prejudices and certain phobias that Sri Lankan society lives with. There is a paradoxical narrative that may help us understand some…
The Colombo Declaration
Image Samya Arif/Medium Read the full article on The Hindu. Click here to access the full text of the Colombo Declaration, an excerpt of which is below: Whereas on the occasion of…
Reframing the debate around Women, Peace and Security
Photo from Wikimedia When a peace deal is struck between warring factions, it is widely understood that peace has been achieved. However, when key sections of society—in most cases all women—are kept…
One Question, Two People, A Shared Pain
One question. I needed an answer to one question. Despite being used to meeting people and talking about difficult issues, it was not easy to ask this question. I had to make…
On the Side of Justice
Why is it so difficult for the All Ceylon Jammiyathul Ulama (ACJU) to acknowledge 18 as the minimum age of marriage? What is interesting is that the Qur’an does not specify a…
The dog in the manger: The struggle to reform the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act
An old Greek fable goes something like this: A dog lying in a manger who did not eat grain, nevertheless prevented the horse who approached the manger from being able to eat…
Long Overdue: Breaking down the minimum age of marriage in Sri Lanka
One of the most contested issues in the debate around reform of the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA) has been with regard to increasing the minimum age of marriage for Muslims.…
Pride Under Emergency
This June marks the first Pride month in Sri Lanka under a State of Emergency since 2011, when it was last in place. For Sri Lanka’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex…
Opinions, B*tch: Technology Based Violence Against Women in Sri Lanka
Although there is growing awareness of the impact on technology-based violence globally, there is little research on the different ways it can manifest. This report looks at how women are discussed on…
‘Culturally Inappropriate’ Love Stories and Identities
Arun Welandawe-Prematilleke was awarded the Gratiaen Prize 2018 for his play ‘The One Who Loves You So’ (TOWLYS). The drama explores the relationship between Vidhura, a ‘Colombo trust fund baby’, and Nick,…
Repayment and Relief: Addressing microfinance debt in Sri Lanka
Nadaraja Devakrishnan stumbled on the gravity of the microfinance debt issue purely by chance. He was attempting to begin community gardening in a small village, to respond to rising cases of CKDu…
Systemic Violence: Mapping Police Statistics On Sexual Abuse
In 2016, mapped incidents of street harassment for International Women’s Day. None of these incidents had been reported to the police. Those who contributed their stories to the map recounted experiences that remained…
A Day in Saraswathi’s Life (VIDEO)
38-year-old Saraswathi wakes at 5.30 am to send her children to school before she heads to work. In this video, produced by Selvaraja Rajasegar of , she readies her children for school, in…
Visvasam: Fantasy, Melodrama, Stereotypes and Violence
With two of my colleagues, I was on a rollercoaster last week at Sarasvathi cinema hall in Trincomalee, watching the new South Indian blockbuster film by Siva, “Visvasam” (Loyalty). No escape whatsoever…
