Long Way to Go on Rights for All
In an oral update session on progress in Reconciliation and Accountability in Sri Lanka Maarit Kohonen Sheriff, Director of the Global Operations Division in the Office of the UN High Commissioner for…
Politics and Governance
Women’s Quota in Local Government Authorities Hijacked by Male Chauvinists
Sri Lanka’s battle for gender equality in politics has once again been marred by systemic barriers and patriarchal attitudes. The latest challenge? A new wave of obstacles facing women candidates in the…
Sentiment Analysis of Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Al Jazeera Interview with Mehdi Hasan
Renowned journalist Mehdi Hasan interviewed the former president Ranil Wickremesinghe on a programme of Head to Head, produced by Al Jazeera. The programme was released to YouTube and first broadcast on March 6….
Protecting Women in a Patriarchal Society
The statistics speak for themselves. Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) as well as child abuse have reached alarming proportions throughout the country; several cases are reported daily in the media. One…
Is the 2025 Budget Workable for Women?
reliefweb “ The government’s 2025 budget, introduced under a new administration with progressive ideologies, claims to prioritize gender equality and women’s empowerment. With gender focused allocations, it outlines initiatives to improve women’s…
Thirty Years Since Beijing: Challenges for Gender Equality
Thirty years ago, leaders from 189 countries convened at the UN’s Fourth World Conference on Women, marking a historic milestone in the global fight for gender equality. The conference resulted in the…
Tackling Extra Judicial Killings
The incidents of extra judicial killings are on the rise again with several suspects being killed while allegedly trying to escape or dying while in police custody. The police are identified as…
Protecting Sri Lanka’s Carnivorous Mammals
A meso-carnivore is a medium sized carnivorous mammal that occupies an intermediate trophic level in the food chain. These animals typically weigh between 1-15 kilos and have a diet consisting of 50-70%…
Budget 2025 – A Perspective
The 2025 budget, presented by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, aims to drive economic recovery and fiscal consolidation following a severe financial crisis. The budget targets a deficit of 6.7% of GDP, slightly…
Fighting for the Rights of the LGBTIQ Community
Thanks to archaic Victorian-era laws that are still present in Sri Lanka, the country’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer/Questioning (LGBTIQ) community has been marginalised and discriminated against for over a…
Arab Counter Plan for Gaza: An Exercise in Futility
Gaza, a thriving cosmopolitan trading town along Via Maris trade route between Egypt and Turkey until 1948, became the Gaza Strip since then and remained the largest refugee camp for two million…
Sudden Death with Elephants
Six elephants, two adults, four babies, were slaughtered by a train traveling at high speed through a wildlife corridor between two natural reserves. A tragedy. No humans injured but engine…
Holding the Government Accountable for its Election Promises
During their campaigns for the presidential and parliamentary elections, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and his National People’s Power (NPP) party made several promises to voters on a wide range of issues including…
Many Gaps in Government’s Commitment to Protect Women’s Rights
I was feeling extremely lucky to be part of the Sri Lankan NGO delegation representing Women’s Action Network (WAN) at the 9th periodic review of the Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination…
Sri Lanka’s Obligations Towards Rohingya Asylum Seekers
Since the escalation of the conflict by a military takeover in February 2021, more than 1.3 million refugees and asylum seekers from Myanmar are hosted in other countries around the world. The…
