Gender and Identity Society

“Nimal’s journey to becoming Nithya and the state of the LGBTIQ+ community in Sri Lanka”

Admin October 2, 2024 37

Kamal Siriwardene The Constitution of Sri Lanka grants protections and rights to its citizens, yet we, as a nation, still face the tragedy of these rights not being enforced for certain communities living within our society. While there should be a pause in the various forms of violence and

Gender and Identity

When will Kuveni regain her original glory? 

Admin March 8, 2022 1428

Lakshman Gunasekara International Women’s Day The first mythical Lankans who settled on our island home were welcomed by a female spirit, Kuveni, who, after an initial confrontation with the invading prince Vijaya, bonded with him and, provided succour to his shipload of tired followers. That glorious founding myth depicts the arriving delinquent male wanderers as […]

Gender and Identity

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

Admin November 25, 2021 1341

Women : The Odd Piece in Sri Lanka’s Patriarchal Puzzle Kamanthi Wickramasinghe When Sirimavo Bandaranaike made headlines as the world’s first female prime minister back in 1960, it was a sudden social step forward that baffled many. Many (mostly men) who thought that women were incapable of doing politics may have felt guilty. Threatened.  Some […]

Gender and Identity

I successfully fought battles outside but faced shocking challenges within the workplace

Admin August 27, 2021 943

Krishni Kandasami Ifham           There are many obstacles when working as a journalist in any part of the world but a female journalist faces greater challenges due to the inherently patriarchal nature of the field.    l started my journey as a journalist by joining a major Tamil newspaper at the peak […]

Gender and Identity

Tamil women and Journalism

Admin August 27, 2021 832

Gowri Maha Even though Tamil women receive education and are in employment society, in general, continues to assess them based on their role in the family unit. Therefore, the skills these women showcase through professional achievements often tend not to get appreciated. The situation of the average man, however, is quite different. Their skills, abilities, […]

Freedom of expression and fundamental rights Gender and Identity In Focus

Garment Factories: Fueled by Exploitation and Gender Discrimination

Admin August 6, 2021 832

Kamanthi Wickramasinghe  Long working hours sans lunch breaks or intermittent rests to meet an overwhelming number of targets in a largely unfriendly working environment sums up what a garment factory worker goes through on a daily basis. But this is just a fraction of the larger picture. Even though the Asia-Pacific region is known as […]

Gender and Identity In Focus

Gender injustice: Some men experience what all women do

Admin August 2, 2021 1483

Kamanthi Wickramasinghe  Gender-related matters are often polarized towards the female sex. The common notion is that women tend to be at the receiving end of patriarchal dominance. While this has largely been proven as the truth, there’s another side to the story – the diverse male perspectives.  #MeToo : From humble beginnings to a global […]

Gender and Identity

The Struggles of Women in Myanmar and the Sri Lankan Woman

Admin June 22, 2021 968

Nayanathara Jayathilaka “The strongest part of my body is my knees, and I will never kneel down,” said Aung San Suu Kyi.  By the time I write this, 100 days have passed since military rule began in Myanmar. People are fighting for democracy, while resisting military attacks. They are not satisfied with the positive response […]

Gender and Identity

Queen Anula: Gender, Reconciliation & A Late Night Conversation

Admin May 23, 2021 2049

Natalie Soysa & Kasun Munasinghe Pseudo-intellectual Lankan conversations are many here. We have them all the time and they are fun. One says Reconciliation. The other says Gender. And all of a sudden Queen Anula is the topic of discussion tonight.  Ever heard of her? The ‘evil’ queen? In fact, also the one and only […]

Gender and Identity

Is Feminism an Alienating Concept in Sri Lanka?

Admin May 20, 2021 1664

Natalie Soysa I spent the longest time, thinking I wasn’t a feminist.  This is not a conclusion that I came into on my own – it was a reactive statement because I saw feminists as alienating; using language I didn’t care about, nor understand. No one had actually explained it to me and I was […]