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| Sunday, 12 March 2006 |
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A Sun-lit path to happiness: Towards a violence free society 'WE CAN' Campaign - ensuing a violence free society through gender equality brought about by changemakers by Ranga Chandrarathne
Six South Asian Nations gathered to showcase and to raise violence against women in their respective cultural contexts. The most striking characteristic of the three-day event was the different stalls set up, scattered throughout the park, displaying their traditional costumes, to drive home the truth, that still some form of violence against women continues in different forms, and that some of them are considered natural within the institution of family, and a positive transformation towards a violence free society could still be brought about through the change of attitudes and empowerment of women by changemakers.
The Change Makers' Assembly was organized by Sri Lanka National Alliance of South Asian Regional Campaign to End Violence Against Women, known as "WE CAN Campaign". Changemakers from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka participated in the regional event focused on influencing people, policy makers and enforcement agencies, to implement rules and regulations relating to Violence Against Women, with emphasis on Sri Lanka. The South Asian Campaign is made up of more than 400 civil society groups, organizations and individuals in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, who have come under "WE CAN Campaign" to end violence against women. By 2011, the campaign plans to reach and influence 50 million ordinary women and men to campaign for a violence free society for women. WE CAN Campaign was launched on September 24, 2004 in Sri Lanka, and so far 7000 changemakers have been mobilised throughout the island, and is expected to raise the figure to 200,000 in the next six years. Changemakers are those who understand and are sensitive to issues relating to violence against women, both institutionalised and domestic, and vowed to act and influence the other to change their mindset, and to be sensitive to gender issues. They also campaign at grassroot level to raise gender awareness. The campaign was born out of the necessity to change the attitudes and practices of the society towards violence against women. Studies revealed that in Asia, one in every two women face violence in their homes and 60 percent women in Sri Lanka suffer domestic violence. In Sri Lanka, the campaign will focus on domestic violence, and in Pakistan it is on the Honour Killings that discount a woman's life and her ability to make her own decision. "There are about a thousand people gathered here. Things that we really like about it is that there are lots of women, and it is good to feel that we are in solidarity with women, and there are almost the same number of men, and it is so important that men also say that men and women are equal and their bodies should not be abused. So they do not go along with domestic violence. And these men will talk to other men too. The changemakers have to find ten people and persuade them about ways to stop domestic violence. This is a very exciting event. The event is for songs and dance and drawings, because we need to find every way to put in the message across. We know that most of the countries' legislation is getting better, and Asian Countries now have laws against domestic violence. And discussions are going on here about what is happening in different countries," said Oxfam Chief Barbara Stocking who supported the three-day event. Some of the changemakers from diverse parts of the country expressed their views on the change they made on their lives, and how they influence others to be sensitive to gender issues. M.A.Chathurani Rasika, Director of the organisation called "Shakthi" in Kanthalai, Trincomalee District says, as a woman, she faced many obstacles from society, especially from men, in the management of the organisation. The knowledge and experience gained through the WE CAN Campaign activities have given her strength to challenge these problems. She now uses this knowledge of rights to manage the organisation effectively. P.D. Ranjani of Weligama is a member of the Tissa Jaya Padanama - a local NGO that works in developments with Sinhala and Muslim communities, in the area. Ranjani realizes the gravity of domestic violence in her communities and has been wishing that something really lasting could be done to address the problem. After attending WE CAN awareness raising meeting in the South, and understanding the role of the change maker, she has been actively speaking to her community, mainly mothers of young children who she meets in her volunteer work in pre-schools. The concept of, changemaker and the space given her by the WE CAN Campaign, has empowered her to speak out and break the silence on violence against women. Pix by Kavindra Perera |
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| Produced by Lake House |
The silent and the calm Vihara Mahadevi Park was a beehive of activities
on the International Women's Day, as changemakers from the region converged
at the park under the banner of "WE CAN Campaign", a voluntary organisation
dedicated to empower women, and to increase gender awareness. The three-day
event supported and encouraged by UK based INGO Oxfam, was organised to
raise public awareness on issues relating to violence against women. 
