Illuminating the chapters of UOK Leoism SPECIAL EDITION VOL XV
To make a better world unveiling ourselves To create an environment in which every undergraduate can develop their leadership skills through opportunities and have new experiences while serving the community and making someone smile
More than 150 countries globally are the site of Leo clubs that strive to provide leadership, experience, and opportunities for young people. The largest Leo club in the 306B2 district, the Kelaniya University Leo Club, engages in various social service activities and completes over 50 projects annually. There, the “DefendHer” project which is being carried out to give a voice to women and raise awareness of women's violence, which has turned into a severe issue in today's society will be particularly significant. In this case, the initiative is being carried out by teaching the young community what to do in the event of sexual harassment on public transportation, how to prevent it from happening, and how to educate the Sri Lanka Police and the community at large using a program and survey. With this effort, we as Leo Society hope to provide a secure atmosphere for Sri Lankan women's society. I kindly ask you to participate in this, since this magazine will offer you an idea of our efforts and how you should work toward it. MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
"A society that fails to protect its women, fails to protect its future." I am incredibly proud to present our "DefendHer" project in this magazine. International Women's Day serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of women in our society, and "DefendHer" embodies this spirit by tackling the critical issue of harassment in public transportation. Through this project, we aimed to raise awareness about existing rules and registration processes for reporting harassment. By placing 500 informative stickers on buses, we ensured our message reached a wide audience on a daily basis. We further amplified our efforts through online interviews and school sessions, fostering open dialogue and empowering women with knowledge. The culmination of "DefendHer" is this magazine, a platform to share insights and experiences. Women are the backbone of our communities, playing vital roles in every aspect of life. Ensuring their safety and wellbeing is not just a responsibility, but a necessity. Let "DefendHer" mark a new chapter in creating a safe and inclusive environment for women in public transportation. Let us celebrate their achievements, empower their voices, and together, build a brighter future where every woman feels secure and respected. MESSAGE FROM THE VP FOR MEMBERSHIP
As the Co-Director of the Public Relations Unit of the Leo Club of University of Kelaniya, I am thrilled to present our inaugural magazine “DefendHer - The special edition - 15th Volume of Aurora” spotlighting our initiative to ensure safer surroundings towards women in commemoration of International women’s day. This publication embodies our efforts towards making safer spaces and combatting women harassment. Through a special edition of Aurora we aim to reach a broader audience and raise awareness with in society. I cordially invite our esteemed spectators to witness the proficiency of this collaborative effort in the journey to eliminate harassment against women. Through this endeavor, we have compiled invaluable information and resources that should be acknowledged by every responsible citizen. Join us as we commemorate our strides, advocating for the significance of mental wellness and highlighting the fervor and commitment of our community dedicated to addressing women's harassment. MESSAGE FROM THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY
Empowering her is the definition of empowering the one race called humanity… The passing of another significant month of my Leo journey as the Chief Editor has brought me countless memories and inspiring moments. Leo Club of University of Kelaniya always holds a special place in my heart as a platform where I experienced the depth of fellowship and the power of genuine bonding. I am truly honoured to be amongst this amazing bunch of individuals who are always ready to embrace anything for the pure purpose of bringing smiles to others. I am humbly proud to unveil this Special Edition of Aurora, featuring the Public Relations initiative, “DefendHer”. Aurora, the Official Newsletter of the Leo Club of University of Kelaniya recounts the club’s outstanding performance in serving the community, standing as its chronicle and a tribute to our fellow Leos’ outstanding endeavours. Being a Special Edition, it further highlights the empowering journey of “DefendHer” which aimed at enhancing awareness about female harassment in public transportation. Hereby, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to our distinguished guests for being an integral part of Aurora 15th edition enlightening us with their extraordinary insights at the interviews. I am also sincerely obliged to the amazingly talented newsletter team for their dedicated efforts in bringing this masterpiece to life. They were always behind the scenes contributing immensely till the last moment of publishing this fourth remarkable newsletter for the Leo term 23/24. Excited, I invite all the passionate souls out there to have a glimpse of Aurora Edition 15. Enjoy the read! MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF EDITOR
As Co-Editors of the Leo Club of University of Kelaniya, we are excited to introduce this Special Edition of Aurora: Defend Her. This endeavour, led by the Public Relations Unit of the Leo Club of University of Kelaniya, addresses the pressing issue of female harassment in public transportation. The dedication of the team behind this successful initiative, Defend Her, is exceptionally commendable. Their effective awareness sessions demonstrate unwavering dedication to empowering women, educating the community, and creating a safer environment for all. This magazine delves into the heart of the initiative, Defend Her, revealing the team's innovative solutions and the profound impact they've made. Through captivating visuals, insightful interviews, and powerful writing that ignites a fire in the reader's soul, they aim to spark a conversation that spans across generations. May this magazine serve as a catalyst for change, sparking meaningful conversations and actions that lead to a safer and more just world for everyone. Let DefendHer empower women to demand their right to safety. Let it motivate bystanders to take action and advocate for those whose voices may not be heard. Defend Her. Rise Up. Speak Out. Let your voice be heard! Turn the page, and let's begin this journey together! MESSAGE FROM THE CO-EDITORS
Public Relations Unit 01 PR Highlights 02 Interview with Leo Lakisha Perera PFLM 03 About project DefendHer 07 Interview with Manoj Samarasekara - English 08 Interview with Manoj Samarasekara - Sinhala 13 Interview with Manoj Samarasekara - Tamil 17 Research Abstract 21 Creative Corner 22 Organizing Committee 30 Team Behind 34 CONTENTS
PUBLIC RELATIONS UNIT The Public Relations Unit of the Leo Club of University of Kelaniya serves as the voice and face of the club, playing a vital role in managing the public image of the Leo Club of University of Kelaniya. Through a variety of mediums such as flyers, videos, magazines, and numerous projects, the Public Relations Unit provides glimpses of the impactful work being carried out by the Leo Club of University of Kelaniya to the outside world. Furthermore, the role of the Public Relations Unit extends to connecting the Leo Club of University of Kelaniya with the fellow Leo Clubs around Sri Lanka as well as across the globe. In essence, the Public Relations Unit of the Leo Club of University of Kelaniya can be considered a vital means of communication to spread the impactful and inspiring efforts of service of the Club among the wider community both nationwide and worldwide. 01
Welcome to the Public Relations (PR) Unit of the Leo Club of University of Kelaniya, where every action is a step towards creating a positive and meaningful impact on the community. Our dedicated team is committed to amplifying the voice of the Leo Club of University of Kelaniya, ensuring that our message reaches far and wide. PR HIGHLIGHTS One of our primary objectives is to establish a strong digital media presence for the Leo Club of University of Kelaniya. Therefore, we have launched our channels in social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Twitter, Tiktok and Threads to share updates, highlight events, and showcase the impactful work being carried out by the Leo Club of University of Kelaniya. Through creative content and timely updates, we connect with our members and the broader community, keeping everyone informed and updated about the club activities, events, and our achievements. Our commitment and efforts have gained recognition among the Leo Community several times. In the 19th MidYear Conference of Leo District 306 B2, we were able to be awarded as one of the top 10 PR-enabled clubs rewarding the hard work of our strength. Additionally, we were honoured to receive the award for the best PR material for the month of December, in recognition of our innovative strategies. Behind every successful PR campaign there is a passionate team of individuals dedicated to making a positive difference within the society. Our PR Unit comprises talented members who bring creativity, enthusiasm, and expertise to every project. From crafting innovative flyers to developing creative videos, each member plays a vital role in shaping the voice of the Leo Club of University of Kelaniya. As we reflect on our journey, the PR Unit remains a driving force behind the outreach efforts of the Leo Club of University of Kelaniya. With every milestone we achieve, we uphold our promise to empower the voice of the Leo Club of University of Kelaniya in the future as well. Moving forward, we will continue to innovate, collaborate, and inspire, as we aim to achieve greater success to continue making a positive impact within the community. 02
Leo Lion Lakisha Perera PFLM INTERVIEW WITH district president, leo district 306 C2 03
04 01. When did your Leo journey begin and where did you first get involved with Leo? I joined Leo in 2013 during school. Initially hesitant, I witnessed impactful projects like visiting a children's home, which convinced me to join. Months later, I joined the Leo Club of Nawala Metro, realizing it's not just about service but personal growth. This journey has kept me engaged ever since. 02. How do you effectively balance your responsibilities as the District President and as an employee? As the district president for 2023-2024, my experience provided invaluable support in managing responsibilities. Although I'm not perfectly balanced or organized, my experience helps me anticipate and navigate challenges. While not a multitasker, I excel in different segments. Alongside being an employee, entrepreneur, and active Leo, I've physically attended all club orientations across our extensive district, spanning Colombo to Batticaloa. My passion for involvement and projects drives me, allowing me to effectively manage my time between my job and district duties in two countries. With businesses in event management, e-learning, and corporate training, I've honed my ability to juggle diverse tasks. Overall, maintaining a positive attitude has enabled me to successfully balance these commitments. 03. Have you personally experienced stress, in both your life as a Leo and in your career as an entrepreneur? And how have you handled such situations? Whether you're an employee or a student, facing challenging phases is inevitable. Accepting this reality is the first step. Rather than taking breaks, I strive to tackle problems head-on, avoiding wasted time. When stressed, I don't hold back but seek advice from trusted friends. I analyze the root cause of issues and work towards solutions. While stress and panic are natural, I understand the importance of moving forward and finding resolutions. 04. What and Who inspired you to be so actively involved in Leo? In the Leo movement, I've encountered numerous inspiring individuals, from club-level members to district leaders and Lions. While I can't pinpoint one specific person who influenced me to become a leader, collectively, they all played a role. Whether it was their public speaking skills, leadership abilities, effective management, or dedication to service, each one left an impression on me. Witnessing their impact, ability to bring light and smiles to others' faces, fueled my own aspirations to lead. It's not about one individual, but the collective inspiration from all these Leos and stakeholders that motivated me to step up as a leader. “DON'T LET PREJUDICE DETER YOU. STAND YOUR GROUND, FIGHT FOR WHAT'S RIGHT, AND LET YOUR ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS"
05. How do you see your role as District President contributing to the community today? Managing 13,000 new memberships and 48 active Leo clubs in our new district presents a significant challenge. Despite the inevitable criticisms that come with standing out, I've maintained an open dialogue with various communities, inviting them into our council to witness our work firsthand and offering support where needed. My leadership is guided by fairness and meritocracy. I recognize everyone regardless of personal biases. Building a sense of peace and freedom among members is important, alongside a focus on leadership development through gatherings and innovative practices. Positivity and open communication are also central to fostering a welcoming and constructive environment as a leader. 07. How do women face gender-related restrictions in their careers and how have you overcome them? Becoming a District President was no easy. Especially in challenging outdated social stigmas. Despite facing setbacks, including a cancelled nomination for District Vice President due to absurd reasons and facing prejudice as a female leader, I refused to give up. Instead, I recognized the importance of being part of the system to effect change from within. By persevering and securing 100% of the votes for District Vice President, I shattered stereotypes and paved the way for progress. I understand the weight of responsibility that comes with leadership, regardless of gender, and believe in the power of performance and action to overcome discrimination. My message to the movement and our District is clear. Don't let prejudice deter you. Stand your ground, fight for what's right, and let your actions speak louder than words. We must speak up against harassment and injustice, empowering others to do the same, ensuring a more inclusive and equitable environment for all. 06. So, what are some of the biggest challenges you face in playing diverse roles, bothas a womanand as anentrepreneur? Balancing multiple roles in life poses a significant challenge, particularly in managing time effectively across diverse responsibilities. Additionally, as a female leader, I confront societal stigmas and gender-based discrimination, which is a persistent issue. I vehemently oppose such injustices and refuse to let them hinder my progress. Handling career, studies, and leadership duties simultaneously is demanding, and I've encountered numerous obstacles along the way. However, I persist in navigating these challenges, refusing to let them deter me from my goals. 05 "ONE DAY YOU WILL SEE THAT YOU HAVE DONE SOMETHING GOOD, EVEN IF YOU HAVE CONTRIBUTED IN A SMALL WAY"
Leo Sevni Jayasinghe Panned by: Interviewed by: Leo Gishani Chamodya Rasaduni 06 08. Does cultural norms and societal attitudes of people also matter to female harassment in Sri Lanka? Yes, it's a huge commentary. You see a lot of objectifying women and the attitude that people have developed over time. The push to normalize these perceptions is ongoing. Stereotypes like "women belong in the kitchen" persist, even suggesting that caregiving is a woman's sole responsibility. The discourse around feminism is also complex; while some misrepresent it, at its core, feminism advocates for equal economic, political, and social rights. This fight has historical roots, with women in some countries fighting for basic rights like voting. Equal pay for equal work is a fundamental principle that applies regardless of gender. Yet, societal attitudes, often stemming from cultural norms, can lead to unfair assumptions and discrimination, particularly in mixed-gender work environments. Overcoming these ingrained perceptions and biases is a continuous challenge. 09. When it comes to the Project DefendHer organized by the Leo Club University of Kelaniya, it has a specific focus on female harassment in public transportation. So, what are your thoughts on this initiative? You might have heard just because you pay for some stickers doesn't make a huge impact on society. But there might be just one person even with all these stickers that could make a change. Don't think small about these projects. You all are doing a lot for society. Even a single word, a single sentence, single sticker might create a change in someone else's life. That might be a motivation for other women to speak up for themselves which gives them the freedom to think of themselves. Don't think small of it. It might be a small action, a big action, big awareness. Whatever it is, you are changing beliefs, attitudes, society, and the world. Keep on doing good. One day you will see that you have done something good, even if you have contributed in a small way. "EVEN A SINGLE WORD, A SINGLE SENTENCE, SINGLE STICKER MIGHT CREATE A CHANGE IN SOMEONE ELSE'S LIFE"
Project DefendHer is a research-based comprehensive project initiated by the Public Relations Unit of Leo Club of University of Kelaniya, dedicated to address the pervasive issue of women's harassment in public transportation. The project unfolds in three distinct initiatives, focusing on empowering and protecting women. Our mission is to create a safer and more inclusive environment for women. In the first phase, we launched an empowerment campaign on International Women's Day, distributing stickers with empowering messages to raise awareness with the collaboration of the Sri Lanka Police, it will serve as a visible symbol of solidarity and support, sending a powerful message that harassment will not be tolerated. As the second initiative, we conducted an interview on female harassment in public transportation with the participation of Mr.Manoj Samarasekara as an insightful discussion to understand the present atomsphere of harassment and advocate for meaningful change. Here, we sought to understand the present atmosphere of harassment on public transportation and produced a video documentary to share those insights. As a continuation of Project DefendHer, we held an awareness session for school students especially targeting girls. Mr. Manoj Samarasekara representing the collaboration with Sri Lanka Police led the session as the guest speaker. Finally, the power of media used to educate and empower individuals to take action against harassment by publishing a magazine dedicated to explore the various dimensions of women's harassment on public transportation. Through these efforts, Project DefendHer aims to foster a safer and more inclusive environment for women in public spaces. PROJECT DEFENDHER 07
Mr. Manoj Samarasekara INTERVIEW WITH chief inspector - sri lanka police 08
01. Today this discussion will circulate around the topic, women harassment, how to mitigate it, and so on. I would like to raise the first question: In your eyes, what is women harassment? 09
10 It is a topic that we need to talk about broadly; no matter how many laws there are, it will not be protected. According to Amendment Act No. 22 of 1995, one of the most protective sections in it is Section 345. According to that, if a woman is sexually assaulted by someone, the police can arrest that person without a warrant, present them to the magistrate, and imprison them for five years. A woman can be molested by a person in one of three ways: verbally, physically or in gestual ways. But today, if you are harassed on your way home in public transport, you will not go to the police, right? The reason why women are still reluctant to seek legal help is on the basis of various reasons, like shyness and lack of trust towards the police. It is still the same in those distant rural villages. No matter how much the woman is abused, they tend to bear it. It does not mean we are advising to break away from the family system, but women should be mase aware that they have the right to be free from any kind of torture and get their rights secured. No, now women are not second class; they are first class (with a smile). Look at the majority of government institutions where women are at the top. It was a Sri Lankan woman who was the first female Prime Minister of the whole world. Her daughter even became a president in this country. They ruled the country amidst many challenges. What you said is just a story made up by society, so I do not agree with that opinion. When the economic stability of Sri Lanka degraded recently, who helped in regaining the economic stability of the country were the women who worked abroad and especially the women who worked in the apparel industry. 02. These circumstances are rising gradually. Is it the inadequacy of the legal system or the lack of awareness from the end of the general public that causes this rise of the prevalence of femaleharassment? 03. Do you see women as second-class (softer sex) in society as a reason for the increase in violenceagainstwomen? Scan the QR to watch the interview
I’m not saying “no” to that. There is a possibility that the woman is abused, especially when she is chasing higher economic goals. For example, let's take this: Suppose a woman living in a rural village works for a certain organization due to poverty. When the upper management is aware of her social environment, there is a possibility that they harass the woman, putting pressure on her, maybe by terminating her job contract for no reason, not paying her enough, or transferring her to a rural area. It can be considered harassment in the workplace. 04. Are there any economic factors including this prevailing unstable economic situation of the country that hasanyimpactonwomen'sharassment? Nowadays, with the development of technology, there are cases where women are unknowingly harassed through Facebook and their smartphones. Under the present circumstances, a Sri Lankan woman is solely responsible for whatever happens at home within the family setting and there is a possibility of the woman being abused while trying to cater to all of them. 05. One of the forms of violence against women is the harassment women face in public transportation. What is your opinion on that? According to a survey conducted in relation to the "DefendHer" project with 320 women respondents, the majority commented that they are harassed mostly in public transportation. Women are definitely harassed in public transportation. You may not be aware of it, but so far, the Children's and Women's Bureau has replaced the number 0112 444 444 and introduced a new three-digit telephone number, 109. That way, they can anonymously inform us about the violence that happens to them. Recently, the new IGP has introduced a new measure with his assumption of the post of IGP. Conducting raids to reduce violence in public transport is done as part of the right to personal security from the eighty-ninth article of the Penal Code onwards. There is a law in Sri Lanka to protect your life and body. You have a right to protect your friend's life. The woman has the right to kill the person or save her life whenever any act is done with the intention of committing sexual abuse. There are mechanisms in Sri Lanka's legal system to protect such rights. But the problem is that people are not aware of it. 06. How can people be educated over the prevailinglack of awareness? You are doing this as a youth community to raise awareness. It is possible to educate school students about it through their curriculum as well as through mass media. In my opinion, the method of teaching women's rights in Sri Lanka should be further expanded. 11
12 With the current law, most complaints about sexual harassment are reported to the police. Let's take rape as an example. In most cases, children under the age of sixteen are the victims of rape. It is a work done willingly with the consent of the partner on the basis of a romantic relationship as underage individuals. According to the existing law in Sri Lanka, consent given by a person less than 16 years old is not called a consent. It is constitutional law. According to the existing laws of Sri Lanka as a civilized country, a person has the right to get married only after he or she is eighteen. According to this, rapes that occur on the basis of underage love relationships are widely reported. Situations such as forced abduction and molestation are very rare in Sri Lanka today. Under that, domestic violence is reported to the police. And situations like divorce are filed in the district courts under civil law. As mentioned in the Domestic Violence Act, even harsh scolding is considered as domestic violence. Going back to the beginning of what I talked about, in an under age love relationship, sometimes the under aged children might not be aware that he did something wrong. So, awareness programs should be launched targeting schools. Due to the lack of awareness about these matters, a large number of crimes are committed in Sri Lanka. Leo Sevni Jayasinghe Penned By: Interviewed by: Leo Hansini Dambadeniarachchi 07. Voluntary organizations like “Women's Aid” are functioning to address various problems faced by women. To what extent do you think the activities of such institutions have contributed to restricting violence against women? In fact, non-governmental organizations are doing great work to combat violence against women. For example, there are not enough counseling services in Sri Lanka. At present, there are people for consultation in the divisional secretariats. Also, a separate unit has been set up, and consultants have been appointed as “Mithuru Piyasa” in government hospitals. As far as I know, every national school has a teacher appointed for counseling. A large number of counselors are needed, but the problem is whether there are adequate professionals in Sri Lanka to offer the service. I think there is a possibility of reducing the rate suicide through psychological counseling. 08. What are the crimes that women in Sri Lanka have to face at present? 09. Lastly, what advice would you give us for the success of the project "DefendHer,” launched by the Public Relations unit of the Leo Club of University of Kelaniya? Yes, we really appreciate such programs. We see that today's youth is very inclined towards such activities, but there are very few opportunities where the final outcome benefits the human being. Also, programs like these are of great help to us as the Sri Lanka Police in terms of educating people. I further request that you conduct awareness programs about child crimes and internet crimes in this way. People should also be informed about awareness programs using social media, the actions to be taken if they are victimized by violence, and the institutions to be contacted. On behalf of the Sri Lanka Police, I offer my respectful gratitude for this program, which was launched to provide knowledge to Sri Lankan women in society.
13 මනෝ ජ් සමරසේ කර මහතා සමඟ සිදු කළ සම්මුඛ සා කච්ඡා ව ප්රධා න පො ලිස් පරීක්ෂක
පළමුවෙන්ම මම කැලණිය විශ්වවිද්යාලයීය ලියෝ සමාජයට ස්තුති කරන්න කැමතියි, ඔබ වැනි තරුණ උනන්දු සහගත ප්රජාවක් මෙවැනි වර්තමාන ගැටලු සාකච්ඡා කිරීමට ඉදිරිපත් වීම ගැන. ඒ වගේම කාන්තාවන්ට සිදුවෙන හිරිහැර සම්බන්ධයෙන් ඔවුන් දැනුවත්කිරීමට මේ හරහා අපට අවස්ථාව ලබාදීම පිළිබඳ ශ්රී ලංකා පොලිසිය වෙනුවෙන් මං ස්තුති කරන්න කැමතියි. කාන්තාවන්ට සිදුවන හිංසනය විවිධ ස්වරූපයෙන් තියෙනවා. ශ්රී ලංකාව කියන්නේ දිගු ඉතිහාසයක් තියෙන දකුණු ආසියාතික රටක්. අපි එකම රාමුවකට කොටුවෙලා ඉන්න මිනිස්සු, ඒත් බටහිර ලෝකයේ රටවල් ගත්තොත් ඒ මිනිස්සු අපට වඩා ගොඩක් වෙනස්. මට හිතෙනවා අපේ රටේ කාන්තාවන් හිංසනයට ලක්වීමේ නැඹුරුතාව වැඩි බවක්. දශක කිහිපයකට කලින් කාන්තාවන් රාමුගත කරලා තිබුණේ ගෘහනියන් විදියට. නමුත් අද සමාජයේ බහුතරයක් කාන්තාවෝවෘත්තීයමය කාන්තාවන්. අපි නීති පද්ධතිය සහ ශ්රී ලංකා ව්යවස්ථාව ගැන කතා කළොත්, ශ්රී ලංකා පොලිසිය මේ අවුරුද්දේ 157වෙනි සංවත්සරය සමරනවා. බ්රිතාන්යයන් අපේ රටේ පාලනය කරද්දි නීති පද්ධතිය සහ ව්යවස්ථාව සකස් කළේ ඒ කාලයට ගැලපෙන විදියටයි. ශ්රී ලාංකික කාන්තාවන් රකින්න ඔවුන් නීති සම්පාදනය කළේ නැහැ. පසුකාලීනව, 1995 අංක 22 දරන දණ්ඩ නීති සංග්රහය ස්ථාපනය කිරීමෙන් ශ්රී ලාංකික කාන්තාවන්ගේ අයිතීන් ආරක්ෂා කළා. මේ නීති සමිපාදනය කරලා අවුරුදු 30ක් ගත වෙලා. ඔබ වගේ උගත් තරුණියන් මේ පිළිබඳ දැනුවත්භාවයෙන් සිටියත්, ග්රාමීය ප්රදේශවල අහිංසක තරුණියන්ට ඔවුන්ගේ අයිතීන් ගැන දැනුවත්භාවයක් නැහැ. ඒ වගේම, 2005 අංක 34 දරන ගෘහස්ථ හිංසන වළක්වාලීමේ පනත පිළිබඳ මතක් කළ යුතු යි. මේ හරහා කාන්තාවන්ට තමා වෙනුවෙන් පෙනී සිටීමට, පොලිසියට පැමිණිලි කිරීමට වගේම මහේස්ත්රාත් අධිකරණ නියෝග ප්රකාරව මාස 12කට අධික අන්තර්කාලීන ආරක්ෂාව ලබා ගැනීමේ නිදහසත් හිමි වෙනවා. මෙවැනි නීති පද්ධති දැනටත් ලංකාවේ ක්රියාත්මක වෙලා තියෙනවා. 02. කාන්තා හිංසනයන් වර්ධනය වීමට බලපාන්නේ නීති පද්ධතියේ පවතින අක්රමිකතා ද නැත්නම් මහජනතාවගේ නොදැනුවත්කම ද? මෙය අපි පුළුල්ව කතා කළ යුතු මා තෘකාවක්. නීති කොපමණ තිබුණත් ඵලක් නැහැ ඒවා ක්රියාත්මක නොවෙනවානම්. 1995 අංක 22 දරන පනතෙහි 345වෙනි වගන්තිය අනුව කාන්තාවකට ලිංගික අතවරයන් සිදු කළ පුද්ගලයාව වරෙන්තු රහිතව අත්අඩංගුවට ගැනීමටත්, මහේස්ත්රාත් අධිකරණයට ඉදිරිපත් කොට වසර 5ක සිර දඬුවම් ලබාදීමටත් හැකියාව තිබෙනවා. කාන්තාවක් ආකාර තුනක් යටතේ හිංසනයට ලක් වෙන්න පුළුවන් : වාචිකව, කායිකව හෝ අවාචිකව (අභින මඟින්). ඒත් වර්තමානයේ ඔබ පොදු ප්රවාහන සේවාවක් භාවිතයෙන් නිවසට යන අතරමඟ ඔබ හිංසනයට ලක් වුණොත් ඔබ පො ලිසියට යන්නේ නෑ. එහෙම නේද? කාන්තාවක් නෛතික උපකාර නොපතා එය මඟහැරීමට හේතු රාශියක් තිබෙන්න පුළුවන්. එය ලැජ්ජාව එහෙම නැත්නම් පොලිසිය පිළිබඳ විශ්වාසයක් නොමැතිකම. මෙය ඈත ගම් ප්රදේශවල සාමාන්ය තත්ත්වයක්. කාන්තාවන් කොපමණ හිංසනයට ලක්වුවත් ඔවුන් ඒවා දරාගැනීමට පෙළඹෙනවා. අපි අදහස් කරන්නේ නෑ කාන්තාවන් ඔවුන්ගේ පවුල් ජීවිතයෙන් ඉවත් විය යුතුයි කියලා. තමන්ට සිදුවන ඕනෑම ආකාරයක හිංසනයකින් ඉවත් වීමට වගේම තම අයිතීන් රැකගැනීම වැදගත් බව ඔවුන් අවබෝධ කරගත යුතු යි. 01. අද දින මෙම සාකච්ඡාවට පාදක වන්නේ කාන්තා හිංසන සහ එය වළක්වාලීම සම්බන්ධව. මගේ පළමු ප්රශ්නය ලෙස මම ඔබතුමාගෙන් විමසන්න කැමතියි කාන්තා හිංසනය යන්න ඔබතුමා හඳුන්වන්නේ කෙසේ ද? 14
03. කා න්තා හිංසනය වර්ධනය වීමත් සමඟ කාන්තාවන් සමාජයේ දෙවන පෙළ නියෝ ජනයකරනබව ඔබ සිතනවා ද? නැහැ , දැන් කාන්තාවෝදෙවන පෙළෙ හි නෙවෙයි. ඔවුන් පළමු පෙළ නියෝජනය කරනවා (සිනහවෙන්) රජයේ ආයතනවල ප්රධානීන් බහුතරයක් කාන්තාවන්. මුළු ලෝකයේම ප්රථම අගමැතිනිය බවට පත්වුණේ ශ්රී ලාංකීය කාන්තාවක්. ඇයගේ දියණිය ශ්රී ලංකාවේ ජනාධිපතිනිය වුණා. ඔවුන් අභියෝග මැද රට පාලනය කළා. ඔබ අහන ප්රශ්නය මේ සමාජය විසින් ගොඩනගන ලද්දක්. මම ඒ සමඟ එකඟ වෙන්නේ නෑ. විදේශීය සේ වයේ නියුතු කාන්තාවන් වගේම ඇඟලුම් කර්මාන්තයේ නියුතු කාන්තාවන් ශ්රී ලංකාවේ ආර්ථික වර්ධනයට උපකාර වෙමින් ආර්ථික ස්ථාවරත්වය රඳවා ගැනීමට දායකවෙනවා. 04. රටෙහි පවතින ආර්ථික අස්ථාවරත්වය කාන්තා හිංසනයට හේතුවක් වී තියෙනවා ද? මම ඒකට නැහැ කියන උත්තරය ලබා දෙන්නේ නෑ. කාන්තාවන් මූල්ය අරමුණු හඹා යාමේදී හිංසනයට ලක්වීමේ සම්භාවිතාවක් තියෙනවා. නිදසුනක් විදියට ග්රාමීය ප්රදේශයක කාන්තාවක් දුගී බව නිසා කිසියම් ආයතනයක වැඩ කරනවා. මෙහි දී, ඉහළ කළමනාකාරීත්වය ඇගේ සමාජ පසුබිම වා සියට අරගෙන ඇයට හිංසා කිරීමේ ඉඩකඩ පවතිනවා. ඇයව පීඩාවට පත්කිරීම, කිසිදු හේතුවක් නොමැතිව ඇයව රැකියාවෙන් නෙරපීමට උත්සාහ ගැනීම, ගෙවීම් පැහැරහැරීම, ඇයව ග්රාමීය ප්රදේශයටම මාරු කර යැවීම වගේ අකටයුතුකම් සිදුකරනවා. මෙය රැකියා ස්ථානයේ සිදුවන හිංසන ලෙස සලකන්න පුළුවන්. වර්තමානයේ තා ක්ෂණය දියුණුවීමත් එක්ක කාන්තාවන් නොදැනුවත්ව ෆේස්බුක් සහ ජංගම දුරකථන හරහා හිං සනයට ලක්වෙන්න පුළුවන්. 05. පොදු ප්රවාහන භාවිතයේ දී කාන්තාවන් හිංසනයට ලක්වෙනවා. මේ පිළිබඳ ඔබගේ මතය කුමක් ද? DefendHer ව්යා පෘතියේ දී කාන්තාවන් 320ක් යොදාගෙන සිදුකරන ලද සමීක්ෂණයෙන් හෙළි වූයේ කාන්තාවන් වැඩි දෙනෙ ක් පොදු ප්රවාහනයේ දී හිංසනයට ලක්වන බවයි. අනිවාර්යයෙන් කා න්තාවන් පොදු ප්රවාහනයේදී හිංසනයට ලක්වෙනවා. ඔබ සමහරවිට නොදන්නවා ඇති, ළමා හා කාන්තා කටයුතු කාර්යංශය මේ වන විට 0112 444 444 අංකය ඉවත් කරලා ඒ වෙනුවට 109 යන අංකය ස්ථාපිත කරලා තියෙනවා. මේ හරහා නිර්නාමික ඇමතුම් මඟින් ඔවුන්ට සිදුවන හිං සනය දැනුම්දෙන්න පුළුවන්. ඒ වගේම නව ප්රධාන පො ලිස් පරීක්ෂක නව ක්රමවේදයක් හඳුන්වා දී තිබෙනවා. ඒ යටතේ පොදු ප්රවාහනයේ ප්රචණ්ඩත්වය අවම කිරීමට වැටලීම් සිදුකිරීමෙන් දණ්ඩ නීති සංග්රහයේ 89වන වගන්තිප්රකාරව පෞද්ගලික ආරක්ෂාව තහවුරු කෙරෙ නවා. ඔබේ ජීවිතය සහ ශරීරය ආරක්ෂා කරගැනීමටත් ශ්රී ලංකාවේ නීතියක් තියෙනවා. ඔබේ මිතුරාගේ ජීවිතය රැකගැනීමටත් ඔබට අයිතියක් තියෙනවා. ලිංගික අතවරයක් සිදු කිරීමේ චේතනාවෙන් එන පුද්ගලයා ඝාතනය කිරීමට හෝතම ජීවිතය රැක ගැනීමට අවැසි ඕනෑම ක්රියාමාර්ගයක් ගැනීමට කාන්තාවන්ට අයිතිය තියෙනවා. මේ අයිතිවාසිකම් රැකගැනීමට ශ්රී ලං කාවේ නීති පද්ධති පවතිනවා. ජනතාව මේ පිළිබඳ දැනුවත් නොවීම ප්රශ්නයක්. 06. දැනුවත්භාවයේ අවමකම ඉවත් කරමින් ජනතාව දැනුවත්කිරීමටකුමක්කළ යුතුද? ඔබ මෙම දැනුවත්කිරීමේ වැඩසටහන සිදුකරන්නේ තරුණ ප්රජාවක් විදියට. පාසල් සිසුන්ගේ විෂය නිර්දේ ශය හරහා මෙන්ම ජන සන්නිවේදන මාධ්ය හරහා පාසල් ප්රජාව දැනුවත් කළ හැකි යි. ශ්රී ලංකාවේ කාන්තා අයිතිවාසිකම් පිළිබඳ ඉගැ න්වීමේ ක්රමවේදය තවදුරටත් පුළුල් කළ යුතු බවයි මගේ මතය. වර්තමානයේ දී කාන්තාවන් තම පවුල් පරිසරයේ සියලු වගකීම් දරන්න අවශ්ය යි. මෙ හිදී ඔවුන්ට අවශ්ය සියලු දේ කාන්තාවන් සපයා දුන්නත් පවුල තුළ ඇය හිංසනයට ලක්වීමේ සම්භාවිතාවක් ද පවතිනවා. 15
07.Women's Aid වැනි ස්වේච්ඡා සංවිධාන කාන්තාවන් මුහුණදෙන ගැටලු පිළිබඳ සාකච්ඡා කරනවා. ඔබ සිතන ආකාරයට මෙවැනි ක්රියාකාරකම් කාන්තා හිංසනය වැළැක්වීමට කොපමණ දුරකට දායක වෙනවාද? රාජ්ය නොවන සංවිධාන කාන්තා හිංසනය වැළැක්වීමට ඉතා හොඳින් ක්රියා කරනවා. උදාහරණයක් විදියට ශ්රී ලංකාවේ ප්රමාණවත් උපදේ ශන සේවාවන් නැහැ. වර්තමානයේ දිස්ත්රික් ලේකම් කාර්යාලවල උපදේශනය සඳහා පුද්ගලයන් සිටිනවා. ඒ වගේම තනි ඒකකයක් ලෙස සංවිධානය වූ උපදේශකයන් සිටිනවා. ඔනන් මිතුරු පියස ලෙස රජයේ රෝහල්වල සිටිනවා. මම දන්න තරමින් හැම ජාතික පාසලකම උපදේශනය සඳහා පත්කරන ලද ගුරුවරයෙකු සිටිනවා. උපදේශකයන් බොහෝ පිරිසක් අවශ්ය වුවත් එම සේවාව ලබාදීමට තරම් ප්රමාණවත් ප්රවීණයන් ලංකාවේ සිටිනවද යන්න ගැටලුවක්. සියදිවිනසාගැනීම් වළකාගැනීමට මේ මනෝවිද්යාත්මක උපදේශනය උදව් වෙනවා කියලා මං හිතනවා. 08. අද වන විට ශ්රී ලාංකික කාන්තාවන්ට මුහුණ දීමට සිදුවන අපරාධ මොනවා ද? වර්තමාන නීතිය සමඟ බලන විට ලිංගික අතවරයන් සම්බන්ධ පැමිණිලි බොහොමයක් පොලිසියට ලැබෙනවා. ලිංගික දූෂණය උදාහරණයක් ලෙස ගනිමු. බොහොමයක් සිදුවීම්වල වයස අවුරුදු 16ට අඩු ළමුන් තමයි දූෂණයට ලක් වන්නේ. මෙය දෙදෙනාගේම කැමැත්ත අනුව සිදුවන ආදර සම්බන්ධතා මුවාවෙන් සිදුවන්නක්. ශ්රී ලංකා නීතිය අනුව වයස අවුරුදු 16ට අඩු ළමයෙකුගේ ලිංගික ක්රියාවේ යෙදීමට ඇති කැමැත්ත, කැමැත්තක් ලෙස සැලකෙන්නේ නැහැ. එම නීතිය ව්යවස්ථාපිත නීතියක්. පවතින ශ්රී ලංකා නීතිය අනුව යම් සමාජයක පුද්ගලයෙකුට වයස අවුරුදු 18 වූ විට ඔහුට හෝඇයට විවාහ වීමට අයිතිය තියෙනවා. මේ අනුව බොහෝ දුරට සිදුවන්නේ මෙවැනි බාලවයස්කාර ආදර සබඳතා නිසා ලිංගික දූෂණ සිදුවීමයි. ලිංගික බලහත්කාරකම් ආදිය අද වන විට ශ්රී ලංකාවේ අවම සංඛ්යාවක් ගන්නවා. ඒ යටතේ පොලිසියට ගෘහස්ථ හිංසනය පිළිබඳ වාර්තා වෙනවා. සිවිල් නීතිය යටතේ දිස්ත්රික් උසාවිවල දික්කසා ද ආදිය ගොනු වෙනවා. ගෘහස්ථ හිංසනය පනතේ සඳහන් ආකාරයට සැරපරුෂ බැනවැදීම් පවා ගෘහස්ථ හිංසනය ලෙස සැලකෙනවා. මං මුලින්ම කතා කරපු කරුණ ගැ න කියනවානම් බාලවයස්කාර ආදර සබඳතාවල දී බාලවයස්කාර දරුවන් තමන් කළේ වරදක් ද යන වග නොදන්නවා විය හැකි යි. ඒ නිසා පාසල් ඉලක්ක කරගනිමින් දැනුවත්කිරීමේ වැඩසටහන් පැවැත්විය යුතුයි. මේ කරුණු නොදන්නාකම නිසාම ශ්රී ලංකාවේ බොහෝ අපරාධ සිදුවෙනවා. 09. අවසාන වශයෙන් කැලණිය විශ්වවිද්යාලයීය ලියෝ සමාජයේ සමාජ සබඳතා ඒකකයන් දියත් කරන ලද DefendHer ව්යා පෘතියේ සාර්ථකත්වය උදෙසා ඔබතුමා අපට ලබාදෙන අවවාද මොනවා ද? 16 Leo Sevni Jayasinghe Panned By: Interviewed by: Leo Hansini Dambadeniarachchi Translated by: Leo Sandupama Edirisinghe ඇත්තෙ න්ම මෙ වැ නි වැ ඩසටහන් අපි අගය කරනවා . වර්තමා න තරුණ පරපුර මෙ වැ නි ක්රියා කා රකම්වලට ලැ දිකමක් දක්වන බව අපිට පේ නවා . නමුත් මෙි වා යේ අවසන් ප්රතිඵලය ප්රශස්ත ආකා රයට සමා ජගත වීමේ ඉඩකඩ හරි අවමයි. ශ්රී ලං කා පො ලිසිය විදියට මෙ වැ නි වැ ඩසටහන් හරහා ජනතා ව දැ නුවත් කිරීමට අපටත් මා ර්ගයක් සැ ලසෙ නවා . ළමා අපරා ධ හා අන්තර්ජා ල අපරා ධ පිළිබඳ මේ ආකා රයේ දැ නුවත්කිරීමේ වැ ඩසටහන් පවත්වන්න කියලා මං ඔයා ලා ට යෝ ජනා කරනවා . යම් අපරා ධයක් සිදුවුණා ම ඒවා ට එරෙ හිව ගත හැ කි ක්රියා මා ර්ග සහ උපකා ර කරගත හැ කි ආයතන පිළිබඳ සමා ජ ජා ලා හරහා ජනතා ව දැ නුවත් කළ යුතු යි. ශ්රී ලං කා පො ලිසිය වෙ නුවෙ න් අප රටේ කා න්තා වන් දැ නුවත් කිරීමට මේ වැ ඩසටහන පැ වැ ත්වීම පිළිබඳ මං ස්තුති කරනවා .
17 தி ரு. மனோ ஜ் சமரசே கர அவர்கள் உடனா னநே ர்கா ணல் தலை மை பொ லிஸ்மே லர்,
02. பெ ண்களுக்கு எதி ரா ன வன்கொ டுமை கள் அதி கரி ப்பதற்கு சமூகத்தி ல் பெ ண்களை இரண்டா ம் தரமா க பா ர்க்கப்படுகி ன்றதுஎன்பதுஒருகா ரணியா ? இல்லை , பெ ண்கள் இரண்டா ம் தரம் அல்ல. பெ ரும்பா ன்மை யா ன அரசு நி றுவனங்களி ல் பெ ண்கள் உயர்நி லை யி ல் இருக்கி றா ர்கள். முழு உலகி ன் முதல் பெ ண் பி ரதமரா ன இலங்கை ப் பெ ண். அவரது மகள் நா ட்டில் ஜனா தி பதி யா னா ர். அவர்கள் பல சவா ல்களுக்கு மத்தி யி ல் நா ட்டை ஆட்சி செ ய்தா ர்கள். நீங்கள் சொ ன்னது சமூகத்தா ல் உருவா க்கப்பட்ட கதை , எனவே அந்த கருத்தி ல் எனக்கு உடன்பா டுஇல்லை . 03. நா ட்டில் நி லவும் நி லை யற்ற பொ ருளா தா ர நி லை உட்பட ஏதே னும் பொ ருளா தா ர கா ரணிகள்பெ ண்கள்துன்புறுத்தலில்தா க்கத்தை ஏற்படுத்துகி றதா ? நா ன் அதற்கு "இல்லை " என்று சொ ல்லவி ல்லை . குறி ப்பா க பெ ண்கள் உயர்ந்த பொ ருளா தா ர இலக்குகளை த் துரத்தும்போ து, துன்புறுத்தலுக்குள்ளா வதற்கா ன வா ய்ப்பு உள்ளது. தற்போ து தொ ழி ல்நுட்ப வளர்ச்சி யா ல் Facebook மற்றும் Smart Phone மூலம் பெ ண்களுக்கு தெ ரி யா மல் துன்புறுத்தும் சம்பவங்கள் நடந்து வருகி றது. தற்போ தை ய சூழ்நி லை யி ல், குடும்ப அமை ப்பி ற்குள் வீட்டில் என்ன நடந்தா லும் அதற்கு இலங்கை ப் பெ ண் ஒருவரே முழுப்பொ றுப்பா ளி யா க இருப்பதோ டு, அவர்கள் அனை வரை யும் தி ருப்தி ப்படுத்த முயற்சி க்கும் போ துஅந்தப் பெ ண்துஷ்பி ரயோ கத்தி ற்குஆளா கும் வா ய்ப்பு உள்ளது. 01. இன்று இந்த வி வா தம் பெ ண்கள் துன்புறுத்தல் பற்றி . உங்கள் பா ர்வை யி ல், பெ ண்கள் துன்புறுத்தல் என்றா ல் என்ன? பெ ண்களுக்குஎதி ரா னவன்கொ டுமை கள்பலவடிவங்களி ல்உள்ளன. ஆங்கி லே யர்கள் நம் நா ட்டை ஆண்டபோ து, சட்டக் கட்டமை ப்பும், அரசி யல் சா சனமும் கா லத்தின் தே வை க்கே ற்ப மட்டுமே உருவா க்கப்பட்டது. இலங்கை ப் பெ ண்களை ப் பா துகா க்க அவர்கள்சட்டங்களை இயற்றவி ல்லை .பின்னர், 1995ஆம்ஆண்டின்22ஆம்இலக்க தண்டனை ச் சட்டத் தி ருத்தச் சட்டம் தி ருத்தப்பட்டு, இலங்கை யி ல் பெ ண்களின் உரி மை களை ப் பெ ரி தும் உறுதி ப்படுத்தி யது. இந்தச் சட்டம் இயற்றப்பட்டு 30 ஆண்டுகள் ஆன நி லை யி ல், படித்த பெ ண்களுக்கு இது தெ ரி யும் என்றா லும், கி ரா மி ய பெ ண்களுக்கு அவர்களின் உரி மை கள் பற்றி த்தெ ரி யா து. அதே சமயம், இன்னொ ரு வி டயத்தை நி னை வி ல் கொ ள்ள வே ண்டும். 2005 ஆம் ஆண்டின் 34 ஆம் எண் குடும்ப வன்முறை தடுப்புச் சட்டம். இதன் மூலம் பெ ண்களுக்கு எதி ரா க நி ற்கவும், போ லீசி ல் புகா ர் அளி க்கவும், பெ றவும் வா ய்ப்பு உள்ளது. இலங்கை யி ல் தற்போ து இவ்வா றா னதொ ருசட்டஅமை ப்புஇருக்கின்றதுஎன்பதை நி னை வி ல்கொ ள்ளவே ண்டும். 18
04. பெ ண்களுக்கு எதி ரா ன வன்முறை களி ல் ஒன்று பொ துப் போ க்குவரத்தி ல் பெ ண்கள் சந்தி க்கும் துன்புறுத்தல்.அதி ல்உங்கள்கருத்துஎன்ன? பொ து போ க்குவரத்தி ல் பெ ண்கள் கண்டிப்பா க துன்புறுத்தப்படுகி றா ர்கள்.இதுவரை குழந்தை கள்மற்றும் பெ ண்கள் பணியகம் 0112 44 4444 என்ற எண்ணுக்குப் பதி லா க 109 என்ற புதி ய மூன்று இலக்க தொ லை பே சி எண்ணை அறி முகப்படுத்தி யுள்ளது. அதன் மூலம் பெ ண்கள் அவர்களுக்கு நடக்கும் வன்முறை கள் குறி த்து தெ ரி வி க்கலா ம். உங்கள்உயிரை யும்உடலை யும் பா துகா க்கஇலங்கை யி ல் சட்டம் உள்ளது. உங்கள் நண்பரின் உயிரை ப் பா துகா க்க உங்களுக்கு உரிமை உண்டு. பா லியல் துஷ்பி ரயோ கம் செ ய்யும் நோ க்கத்துடன் எந்தச் செ யலை ச் செ ய்தா லும் அந்த நபரை க் கொ ல்லவோ அல்லது உயிரை க் கா ப்பா ற்றவோ பெ ண்ணுக்கு உரிமை உண்டு. இவ்வா றா ன உரிமை களை ப் பா துகா ப்பதற்கா ன வழி முறை கள் இலங்கை யின் சட்ட அமை ப்பி ல் உள்ளன. ஆனா ல், மக்களி டம் அதை ப் பற்றி ய வி ழி ப்புணர்வு இல்லை . 05. வி ழி ப்புணர்வு இல்லா மை குறி த்து மக்களுக்கு எவ்வா று கல்வி கற்பி க்க முடியும்? வி ழி ப்புணர்வை ஏற்படுத்த பள்ளி மா ணவர்களுக்கு அவர்களி ன் பா டத்தி ட்டத்தி ன் மூலமா கவும், நவீன ஊடகங்கள் மூலமா கவும் கற்பி க்க முடியும். இலங்கை யி ல் பெ ண் உரி மை கள் பற்றி கற்பி க்கும் முறை மே லும் வி ரி வுபடுத்தப்பட வே ண்டும் என்பது எனது கருத்து. 06.பெ ண்கள்எதி ர்கொ ள்ளும்பல்வே றுபி ரச்சனை களுக்கு தீர்வு கா ண “Women's Aid” போ ன்ற தன்னா ர்வ அமை ப்புகள் செ யல்பட்டு வருகின்றன. பெ ண்களுக்கு எதி ரா ன வன்முறை களை கட்டுப்படுத்துவதற்கு இத்தகை ய நிறுவனங்களின் செ யல்பா டுகள் எந்த அளவி ற்கு பங்களி த்துள்ளனஎன்றுநீங்கள்நினை க்கி றீர்கள்? உண்மை யி ல், அரச சா ர்பற்ற நி றுவனங்கள் பெ ண்களுக்கு எதி ரா ன வன்முறை களை எதி ர்த்துப் போ ரா டுவதி ல் பெ ரும் பணியை ச் செ ய்து வருகி ன்றன. தற்போ து பி ரதே ச செ யலகங்களி ல் கலந்தா ய்வுக்கு ஆட்கள் உள்ளனர். மே லும், தனி ப் பி ரி வு ஏற்படுத்தப்பட்டு, அரசு மருத்துவமனை களி ல் “மி துரு பி யச” ஆலோ சகர்கள் நி யமி க்கப்பட்டுள்ளனர். உளவி யல் ஆலோ சனை மூலம் தற்கொ லை வி கி தத்தை குறை க்க வா ய்ப்பு இருப்பதா க நி னை க்கி றே ன். 19
08. கடை சி யா க, களனி ப் பல்கலை க்கழகத்தி ன் லியோ கழகத்தி ன் Public Relations Unit மூலமா க ஆரம்பி க்கப்பட்ட "DefendHer" தி ட்டத்தி ன் வெ ற்றி க்கா க நீங்கள் எங்களுக்கு என்ன ஆலோ சனை வழங்குவீர்கள்? ஆம், இதுபோ ன்ற தி ட்டங்களை நா ங்கள் மி கவும் பா ரா ட்டுகி றோ ம். இன்றை ய இளை ஞர்கள் இவ்வா றா ன செ யற்பா டுகளி ல் அதி க நா ட்டம் கொ ண்டிருப்பதை நா ம் பா ர்க்கி ன்றோ ம். ஆனா ல், இறுதி முடிவு மனி தனுக்கு நன்மை பயக்கும் Leo Sevni Jayasinghe Panned By: Interviewed by: Leo Hansini Dambadeniarachchi Translated by: Leo Nuzha Farook தற்போ தை ய சட்டத்தின்படி, பா லியல் துன்புறுத்தல் தொ டர்பா ன பெ ரும்பா லா ன புகா ர்கள் போ லீசுக்கு தெ ரிவிக்கப்படுகின்றன. உதா ரணமா க, கற்பழி ப்பை எடுத்துக் கொ ள்வோ ம். பெ ரும்பா லா ன சந்தர்ப்பங்களில், பதினா று வயதுக்குட்பட்ட குழந்தை கள் கற்பழி ப்புக்கு ஆளா கி றா ர்கள்.இதுவயதுக்குட்பட்டநபர்கள்என்றகா தல் உறவின் அடிப்படை யி ல் மற்றவரின் விருப்பத்துடன் செ ய்யப்படும். இலங்கை யி ல் தற்போ து நடை முறை யி ல் உள்ளசட்டத்தின்படி16வயதுக்குகுறை வா னவர்வழங்கும் சம்மதம், சம்மதம் என அழை க்கப்படுவதி ல்லை . இது அரசி யலமை ப்புசட்டம். 07. தற்போ து இலங்கை யி ல் பெ ண்கள் எதி ர்கொ ள்ளும் குற்றங்கள் எவை ? ஒரு நா கரீக நா டா க இலங்கை யி ல் தற்போ துள்ள சட்டங்களி ன்படி, ஒருவருக்கு பதி னெ ட்டு வயதுக்குப் பி ன்னரே தி ருமணம் செ ய்துகொ ள்ள உரி மை உண்டு. இதன்படி, வயதுக்குட்பட்ட கா தல் உறவுகளி ன் அடிப்படை யி ல் நி கழும் பலா த்கா ரங்கள் பரவலா கப் பதி வா கி யுள்ளன. வலுக்கட்டா யமா க கடத்தல், கற்பழி ப்பு போ ன்ற சூழ்நி லை கள் இன்று இலங்கை யி ல் மி கவும் அரி தா கவே கா ணப்படுகி ன்றன. அதன் கீழ், குடும்ப வன்முறை போ லீசி ல் புகா ர் செ ய்யப்படுகி றது. குடும்ப வன்முறை ச் சட்டத்தி ல் குறி ப்பி டப்பட்டுள்ளபடி, கடுமை யா க தி ட்டுவது கூட குடும்ப வன்முறை யா க கருதப்படுகி றது. நா ன் பே சி யதன் தொ டக்கத்தி ற்குச் செ ன்றா ல், வயதுக்குட்பட்ட கா தல் உறவி ல், சி ல சமயங்களி ல் வயதுக்குட்பட்ட குழந்தை களுக்கு அவர் ஏதோ தவறு செ ய்தா ர் என்று தெ ரி யா மல் இருக்கலா ம். எனவே , பள்ளி களை குறி வை த்து வி ழி ப்புணர்வு நி கழ்ச்சி களை துவக்க வே ண்டும். வா ய்ப்புகள் மிகக் குறை வு. மே லும், இலங்கை பொ லிஸ் என்ற ரீதியில் மக்களை க் கல்வி கற்கும் வகை யில் இவ்வா றா னவே லை த்திட்டங்கள்எமக்குபெ ரும்உதவியா க உள்ளன. மே லும், சிறுவர் குற்றங்கள் மற்றும் இணை ய குற்றங்கள்குறித்தவிழிப்புணர்வுநிகழ்ச்சிகளை இவ்வா றே நடத்துமா றுகே ட்டுக்கொ ள்கிறே ன். சமூக ஊடகங்களை ப் பயன்படுத்தி விழிப்புணர்வு நிகழ்ச்சிகள், வன்முறை யா ல் பா திக்கப்பட்டா ல் எடுக்க வே ண்டிய நடவடிக்கை கள் மற்றும் தொ டர்பு கொ ள்ள வே ண்டியநிறுவனங்கள்குறித்தும்மக்களுக்குத்தெ ரிவிக்க வே ண்டும்.இலங்கை ப்பெ ண்களுக்குசமூகத்தில்அறிவை வழங்குவதற்கா க ஆரம்பிக்கப்பட்ட இந்த திட்டத்திற்கு இலங்கை பொ லிஸ்சா ர்பில்எனதுபணிவா னநன்றியை த் தெ ரிவித்துக்கொ ள்கிறே ன். 20
Public transportation is critical in constructing sustainable cities. Yet, the prevalence of female harassment within these systems poses substantial barriers to their accessibility and safety. Gender disparities exist in Sri Lanka, despite the macro-level progress toward gender equity, particularly in public transportation. Therefore, this study digs into the important topic of female harassment in the Western province, Sri Lanka, to raise awareness about its frequency and impact, as well as to explore solutions for empowering women to resist such experiences. Project “DefendHer”, initiated by the Public Relations Unit of the Leo Club of University of Kelaniya, aims to better analyse and combat female harassment on public transportation in the Colombo district. The target population includes individuals aged 18-35, with a particular focus on those who are most likely to use public transportation and might encounter hostility. A mixed research approach was applied, employing various approaches to gain comprehensive insights. Through the analysis of the responses of 320 participants to an online questionnaire, the types of harassment experienced, victims' reactions, perceived influencing variables, and suggestions for improvement has been recognised . Through the preliminary results, it was identified that almost all the respondents had experienced some form of harassment, with physical (76.2%), verbal (10%), and gesture (13.8%) forms being the most common. Moreover, the comprehensive interviews which were used to collect qualitative data, have provided personal narratives and added to the overall understanding of women's experiences. A public awareness effort, including a sticker campaign and awareness session at a local school, aims to educate and gather feedback. In addition, the study demonstrates a widespread cultural understanding of the crime of harassing women without their agreement. Therefore, project "DefendHer" aims to empower women by raising awareness about the incidences and effects of harassment, to build a safer and more inclusive public transportation system in Sri Lanka. Furthermore, given that ethical factors such as informed consent, confidentiality, and anonymity were scrupulously followed throughout the research process, this study provides important insights into women's experiences on public transit, laying the groundwork for governmental interventions and community-led activities to prevent harassment and promote gender equity. Keywords- Colombo District, Community-led Initiatives, Female Harassment, Safety, Public Transportation 21 Female harassment in public transportation in and around Colombo district Abstract Scan the QR to read the research paper
CREATIVE C O R N E R 22
In the workplace, women often hesitate to report harassment. With the existence of the pervasive culture of “victim-blaming”, their reluctance to come forward has led women to suffer in silence. Within universities, female students refuse to speak out as they’ve lost faith in support systems, drowning them in psychological trauma for not being able to fend for themselves. The digital realm has forced women to retreat from online interactions due to the threats behind the screen. Women continue to be objectified and sexualized on infiltrated virtual platforms, silencing them due to the anonymity and misogyny within the digital realm. Yet, there is a glimmer of hope in this darkness. Women are being empowered to share their stories, grassroots initiatives are being implemented and legal reforms are gradually paving the way for an inclusive society. The issue lies in the fact that not all women have the opportunity to be heard. Some women are not fully aware of their rights to voice their opinions and many women who come from strongly conventional backgrounds, are forced to conform to traditional gender roles, eventually silencing them. Silenced: female harassment unveiled Women continue to be silenced in the face of harassment. The consequences of this silence are profound, denying the fundamental right for women to be safe. As the renown Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai so powerfully worded, “We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced”, the significance of a “voice” is to be acknowledged. Oppressive structures should be dismantled and social norms should be challenged. Women possess the right to be heard. by leo Sevni Jayasinghe In the shadows of workplaces, universities and digital realms, a pervasive and insidious threat looms large: female harassment. The fervour with which people advocate for gender equality has progressed on a global scale. Yet, do women actually have a voice? Despite stepping into a supposedly evolved digital age, female harassment still knows no bounds, leaving women grappling in fear, helplessness and indignation. In theory, the principles of gender equality empower women to speak against female harassment and demand accountability. However, the harsh reality reveals a different narrative. Social norms, power dynamics and systemic barriers often conspire to silence women, allowing the perpetrators to escape the consequences. 23
බඹර තුඩට සීරී මියැදුණු මල්පෙති සැලී පොළොව මත ඉකි ගසන'යුරු නොඇසේ ද? නොපෙනේ ද? විෂම ලෝ තලයක ජීවිතේ දිරිය දෝතින්ම රැගෙන රැකවරණය අවැසි වුව රැකවරණයක් නොමැති තැන්වල හදවත දුක් ගින්නටම වෙන්දේසි කර හඬා නොහඬා තැවෙමින් නොතැවී ඉන්නට වීරිය ගත් යකඩ හිත් ඇති කතුන් තවමත් මේ මහපොළොව මත සුසුම් සඟවනු ඇති.... ගැහැනියක කියු සැණින් සිහි වෙන කවියන් දුටු තරම් මුදු මෙළෙක් හිත් යට වේදනා විසින් ගල් කරපු ගැහැනු හිත් දහස් ගාණක් ජීවිතය ගැට ගසාගෙන යන මේ දුෂ්කරම ගමන් තුළ කොතරම් පීඩා විඳින්නට ඇත් ද? එහෙව් මොහොතක බස්රියක, මහ මගකවත් තනිව යන්නට නොහැකි තරමට පිරිහිච්ච මේ සමාජය කොයි තරම් නම් අසාධාරණ ද? ඉතින්, සීමා මායිම් නැති නිදහස් ජීවිතයකට ඇය වෙනුවෙන් අපි පෙනී සිටි යුතුවනු ඇත! by leo Navodya Dhananjani 24 ඇය වෙ නුවෙ න්...
25 Silent Screams…. In the clamor of the bus, her silence screams, Haunted by the touch of uninvited schemes. Each journey marred by unwelcome advances, Leaves her heart heavy with painful glances. Traumatized by the relentless affront, In a crowd, she feels utterly alone, affront. She hates those who prey on her vulnerability, Their actions a stain on her journey's tranquility. Yet within her, a spark of defiance ignites, To stand tall against these unjust slights. For every girl who shares her plight, She'll raise her voice, ready to fight. Oh, girl of strength, though shadows loom, Your courage shines through the gloom. We stand with you, steadfast and true, In solidarity, till justice rings anew. May healing mend the wounds you bear, And safety be your constant prayer. For you deserve a world where you're free, From the shackles of harassment's spree. by leo Vidumi Jayawardane
Unfortunately, harassment of females can happen in many places, making it difficult to feel truly safe. Women are harassed for a variety of reasons. Inequality of gender Harassment is more likely to occur in an environment where women are viewed as inferior to men. Unbalanced power. Sexual objectification. These are but a handful of the causes of harassment experienced by women. It's critical to keep in mind that harassment victims are never at fault. There are services available to assist you if you are the target of harassment. You can speak with a dependable friend or relative. A lady requests that a colleague stop making constant remarks on her appearance, such as her attire or body type. This is unwanted and makes the place unpleasant. It's crucial to keep in mind that harassment isn't necessarily about making sexual advances and can also occur verbally. Two crucial areas to address violence against women are as follows: Shifting attitudes, Advocate against misogyny, refute violent masculine ideals, and teach the next generation about consent and healthy relationships. Empowering women and survivors, provide support to organizations that assist survivors and encourage women to become financially independent so they can escape abusive environments. we Can give the Education knowledge and aware. Listen to and believe survivors. Teach the next generation and learn from them. Call for responses and services fit for purpose. 26 by leo Diwyanjalee Samarakoon Harassment is unwelcome behavior that upsets, humiliates, or intimidates someone. The term "female harassment" refers to any unwanted behavior directed at a woman due to her gender. This might be sexual or non-sexual in nature, and it can take many different forms. These are a few examples of the various forms of harassment that women face: For women, sexual harassment is the most prevalent form of harassment. It covers unwanted sexual advances, requests for favours, and other sexually suggestive words or actions. This might include anything from groping and assault to sexual jokes and remarks. Name-calling, threats, and other unwanted verbal abuse are examples of verbal harassment. This may be predicated on a woman's sexual orientation, gender, or outward look. Behaviors such as leering, stalking, following, and unwanted physical contact can all be considered forms of non-verbal harassment. Female Harassment Understand consent. Learn the signs of abuse and how you can help. Start a conversation. Fund women's organization. We can make places safer for everyone by destroying the culture of silence and holding those who violate it accountable. The first steps are to empower women to speak up and to encourage bystander intervention. By working together, we can create a future in which decency and respect are the rule rather than the exception.
27 කා න්තා හිං සනයට මග සැ ලසෙ න්නේ ගෙ දරිනි. පවුලක පිරිමි දරුවට ලො කුම මා ළු කෑ ල්ල, ලො කුම බිත්තරය තබා ලො කූ කෑ ම පිඟා නක් බෙ දා , අතිනුත් තබා ‘ඒකා කො ල්ලනෙ ‘ කියන්නෙ ඇයිදැ යි යන්න ගැ න මට අදටත් ඇත්තේ ප්රශ්නා ර්ථයකි. ඉතින්, කා න්තා ව වෙ නස් කො ට සැ ලකීම, සුළු කො ට තැ කීම ඇරඹෙ න්නෙ ඇගේ නිවසින් බව ලියුවහො ත් ඔබ මා සමඟ අමනා ප වේ වි ද? එලෙ ස ගො ඩනැ ගෙ න අසමා නතා වයේ සං ස්කෘ තිය පො දු අවකා ශයන් කරා ඉතා ම පහසුවෙ න් ළඟා වෙ න අතර සේ වා ස්ථා නය, පො දු ප්රවා හන මා ධ්ය හරහා ඇය විවා හ වී ගො ඩනගන නව කුටුම්භය කරා ත් පැ මිණේ . ඉතින්, ස්ත්රී පුරුෂ සමා නා ත්මතා වයේ සැ ලකිය යුතු ප්රගතියක් ඇති යුගයකත්, කා න්තා ව අසං ඛ්යා ත ලෙ ස වා චික අපයෝ ජනයටත් ශා රීරික පහරදීම්වලටත් ලක්වීම නවතා ලිය හැ කි ද? බෝ යි ෆ්රෙ න්ඩ් සෙ ක්ස් කරමු‘යි, රූම් යමු‘යි කියා කරදර කරන බවත්, මහත්තයා ගැ හුවා අත ඉදිමිලා කකුල ඉදිමිලා කියා ත් නිර්ණා මිකව දුක ලියන ගැ හැ නුන්ගෙ අඩුවක් මුහුණු පො තේ ලියමන්වලට අනුව නම් නැ ත. තව ද, බෝ යි ෆ්රෙ න්ඩ් කැ මති නැ ති නිසා කැ ම්පස් නො යා ඉන්න තීරණය කළ බවත් මම වැ රදි නෑ නේ දැ යි අසන ගැ හැ නු දරුවන්ගේ ත් අඩුවක් නැ ත. ඔෆිස් එකේ බො ස්ගෙ න් කරදර නිසා රස්සා ව අත හරින කා න්තා වන් මෙ න්ම බස් එකේ මිනිහෙ ක් කරදර කළැ යි දුක කියන ගැ හැ නු දරුවා ගැ නත් මට එකමා කා රයක වේ දනා ත්මක හැ ඟීමක් ඇත. මගේ ඇඟ මගේ , මගේ ජීවිතේ මගේ යන්න මත හිඳ තීරණ ගත නො හැ කි වීමත්, ස්වා ධීනත්වය අහිමිව තමා ට බලයක් නැ තැ යි දැ නෙ න හැ ඟීමත් සුළුපටු කා රණා නො වේ !!! එය කා න්තා වකගේ මා නසික සහ චිත්තවේ ගී යහපැ වැ ත්මට අහිතකර බලපෑ ම් ඇති කරන අතර, හිරිහැ රයට නිරන්තරයෙ න් නිරා වරණය වීමෙ න් මා නසික අවපීඩනය සහ පශ්චා ත් කම්පන ආබා ධ ද ඇති විය හැ ක. කා යික මා නසික හිරිහැ රයට ඇති බිය නිසා කා න්තා වක් ඇගේ කා යික මෙ න්ම මා නසික සං චරණ නිදහස සීමා කළ හැ කි අතර එමගින් ඇය සමා ජීය, අධ්යා පනික සහ ආර්ථික ක්රියා කා රකම්වලට වා රණ යො දා හෝ සම්පූර්ණයෙ න් නවතා දැ මීම කෙ නෙ කුගේ පෞ ද්ගලික වර්ධනයට බා ධා කරනවා පමණක් නො ව සමස්තයක් ලෙ ස සමා ජ ප්රගතිය අඩා ල කරයි. අපි සියල්ලෝ ම මනුෂ්ය යෝ වෙ මු !!! එබැ වින් ආයා සයෙ න් දිනා ගැ නීමට කිසිවක් නො තිබිය යුතු ය. එහෙ ත් පවතින තත්ත්වය පරස්පර ය. ඊට තදින්ම එරෙ හි වන ගැ හැ නියකගේ ධා රිතා වය මෙ පමණයි සීමා නො කරන මට මේ විෂයයෙ හි හමු වූ අප්රසන්නම තැ න මෙ තැ න ය. ”හිරිහැ ර සා මා න්ය කරණය කරන හෝ සුළු කො ට සලකන සං ස්කෘ තික සම්මතයන් සහ සමා ජ ආකල්ප මෙ ම ප්රශ්නයට එරෙ හිව සටන් කිරීමේ උත්සා හයන් තවදුරටත් සං කීර්ණ කර තිබේ ” යන්න ය. බස් එකක දී හිරිහැ රයට ලක්වන දියණිය වෙ නුවෙ න් හඬ නගන්නෝ කවරහු ද? බහුතරය, බස්වල ඉතින් තෙ රපෙ නවා තමයි ඕවා සා මන්ය දේ වල් කියති. තවත් සමහරු අතවරයට ලක්වී අවසන් හුස්ම පො දත් වා තලයට හරින ලද දියණියකගේ ඇඳුමේ දිග පළල මනිති!!! සැ බවින්ම මෙ ය කා න්තා අයිතිවා සිකම් පිළිබඳ ප්රශ්නයක්ම පමණක්ම නො වේ . අපගේ අවධා නය සහ ක්රියා මා ර්ග ඉල්ලා සිටින මූලික මා නව හිමිකම් පිළිබඳ ප්රශ්නයක්ව තිබේ . ඉල්ලීම, අපි අපේ හදවතත්, නිවසත්, ලෝ කයත් ප්රීතිමත් කළ හැ කි ඇය වෙ නුවෙ න් පෙ නී සීටීමට, අසා ධා රණයේ දී සහා ය වීමට තරම් කා රුණික වෙ මු!!! by leo Aruni Thennakoon මම ලියන්නෙ අපි වෙ නුවෙ නි.......!
28 by leo Madushika Dissanayake Silence on this matter is a serious concern. Many women don't report harassment because they're embarrassed, worried they won't be taken seriously, or scared of getting in trouble themselves. This silence lets the harassers get away with it and makes it seem normal. There are ways to make public transport safer for everyone. Public transport authorities can add features like women-only sections, CCTV camera systems, more security guards, and better lighting. Spreading awareness about what harassment is and encouraging people to speak up if they see it happen are also important steps. Workshops and signs can help create a culture of respect where everyone feels safe. In addition to these steps, bystanders can also play a crucial role.If you see someone getting bothered on the bus or train, you can help. Speak up in a clear voice to show the person being bothered that you're on their side and to stop the bad behaviour. You can also Catching the bus or train shouldn't feel like taking a risk. However, a lot of women find that public transport is a place where they face unwanted attention, creepy comments, and even physical threats. This limits their ability to go where they need to go and makes getting around stressful. Harassment on public transport can range from stares and rude remarks to rubbing up against someone or grabbing them. Even if it seems minor, it can make women feel unsafe and uncomfortable. Because of this fear, they might avoid certain routes, times, or even public transport altogether. This can limit their ability to get to work, school, or social events, hindering their opportunities and creating an unequal playing field. Daily Travel Shouldn't Be Scary: Breaking the Cycle of Harassment on Public Transport offer to walk with them to someone they trust, like a security guard, or tell an adult yourself about what happened.By creating a community that actively discourages harassment, we can send a clear message that public transport should be a safe space for everyone. Making public transport safer isn't just about protecting women, it's about making it a more welcoming place for everyone. By working together, we can create a system where getting around doesn't mean feeling scared. This fosters a more inclusive society where everyone can travel freely and confidently.
29 by leo Thathsarani Weerakoon In contemporary times the safeguarding of women is increasingly jeopardized by multitudes of elements. Public transportation stands out as a significant area where women face abuse, reflecting broader societal issues that need urgent attention and action. Gender-based violence, insufficient attention to women's unique transportation requirements, and their marginalization in transportation policy and planning are key causative factors to this problem. Recent studies indicate that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) of women, in public transport systems involves various detrimental actions targeted at women due to their gender identity, which can manifest as physical, sexual, or emotional harm. These actions can include physical assault, sexual harassment or assault, verbal abuse, intimidation, stalking, and other forms of mistreatment. Sexual harassment is a significant aspect that intersects with broader issues of mistreatment and discrimination against women in the present-day society. It is vital to understand the complexities that women face in disclosing their experiences with sexual harassment in public transportation system. It is a nuanced procedure of courage and discretion, where every step towards speaking up is carefully balanced with considerations of societal expectations and individual security. Social stigma, lack of effective reporting mechanisms, can hinder their willingness to come forward. The presence of femininity weaves the intricate fabric of our existence. Like the life-giving river, it nourishes the very essence of our shared humanity. Femininity, a symphony of strength and vulnerability, dances across landscape and time. It whispers secrets to the moon, carries burdens like a giant oak and paints the dawns with hues of resilience. In the eyes of daughters, sisters, mothers and grandmothers, we glimpsed eternity. Their laughter that echoes through ages, reminds us that life is woven with thread of love, courage and grace. Yet, what if, this essence of love, bravery and elegance crumbles due to social prejudice? Harassment-Free Journey: Confronting Sexual Harassment in Public Transportation Thus, the essence of this femininity should be allowed to soar freely, unimpeded by societal prejudice which aims on their ‘softer’ gendered identity. Society bears the responsibility to create an environment, where women feel safe and supported to speak out about sexual harassment. Coupled with that notion, it should be stated that the celebration of femininity and its timeless essence should be an everyday affair, not confined to a mere 24 hours, thereby ensuring that sanctity of women remain unthreatened.
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE 30
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE 31
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE 32
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE 33
EDITORS 34
TRANSLATORS INTERVIEWER DESIGNER 35
THANK YOU