WERC
This project is an income generation program implemented as a pilot project in Thirukkovil in the Ampara district. The main goal of the project was to empower women economically and help them lead a dignified life. It further aimed to reduce the social ostracism of widows and create community level, rights based mechanisms that challenge the social norms which they are forced to abide by in Sri Lanka. The process also facilitated mainstreaming of widows into the national economic discourse through the active leadership
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The project promoted concerted public response against rape and sexual violence against women and girls and thereby calling seriously to end entrenched failure of law enforcement and subscription to the principle rule of law. The Objective was to increase public awareness and condemn rape and sexual violence against women and girls. Gender Sensitization programmes and workshops were conducted in Monaragala, Ratnapura and Anuradhapura districts targeting Police Officers, Community Leaders, Trishaw Drivers, School Chil
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Aiming to enable widows to become agents of change and access their entitlements with dignity, a 3 year program was funded jointly by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN WOMEN), the Swiss National Committee and the Standard Chartered Bank and was implemented in Nepal, India and Sri Lanka.
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This project is designed for the youth and women affected by war in the North and East of the country. It aims to identify and strengthen the skills of the youth enabling them to cope with problems that have resulted from the protracted war over thirty years. Of the problems faced by the them gender-based violence is widespread and teenage pregnancies become more evident in the region. It is revealed that conflict related frustrations, hopelessness, lack of knowledge on sexual and reproductive health, poverty, undera
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WERC was requested to conduct a four-day training for a group of trainers who were creating awareness on women's reproductive and health rights under the convenorship of Dr. Ketheeswaran, Regional Director for Health Services (RDHS) for Jaffna. This group had been formed seeing the dire need for awareness about reproductive and health rights among women and the rising rate of sexual abuse in the peninsula. This group of trainers included state officials and NGO personnel. The first two days of training was led by M
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The project was designed with the aim of stabilising the mental status of victims who have undergone sexual harassment, torture, rape, abduction etc in the Western province. WERC identified Free Trade Zone (FTZ) workers who were exposed to sexual harassment, mental torture, and gender based violence of various types. These victims were first given counselling and there after a vocational training. A two-day workshop was organized on beauty culture and they were supplied the basic equipments to start a business. In this
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This programme was carried out in an urban poor community at Polhengoda in the Colombo district. The aim of the programme was to develop social values, self esteem and dignity of the children and to redirect them into wholesome social habits of peaceful coexistence and to develop in them a sense of equality and respect for other human beings. Three two-hour classes were held every week and a group of 20 students attended them. Classes were carried out by volunteer teachers and WERC staff members. Constant involvement of
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Through this project, WERC endeavored to use a unique mode to educate and sensitize young civil society activists and community workers on gender equality and peace - through a medium of entertainment. The approach stimulated an environment in which all were free to talk, express views and contribute to the subject. Funding provided by the Neelan Tiruchelvam Trust (NTT). WERC organized 14 film shows for the period 2009/2010 and approached more than 300 individuals from various levels of the society. All the films wer
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Looking at the history from women's perspective is one of the major themes of this endeavour. In the case of Sri Lanka, it is relevant to say that the histories of many women's movements have not been properly recorded within the mainstream historiography in the country. WERC attempted to fill this gap by initiating research on the History of the Women's Movement in February 2009. It was a comprehensive history of various women's movements in rural, urban and plantation social settings and the action programs of women
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As a step towards sensitizing and strengthening the capacities of the local authorities which work closely with the local communities, WERC initiated this project in the Nuwara Eliya district with the support of Women Defining Peace (WDP) in February 2009. This project aimed to improve on attitudes and skills of Grama Niladharis (village officers) and Social Welfare Officers (SWOs) to enhance their capacity towards being more sensitive and responsive in addressing issues of violence against women in their respective a
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