WERC
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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WERC conducted a one-day workshop on Training Women in Creative Writing on December, 05th 2008 with the aim of lobbying with journalists advocating for effective and neutral reporting in the media. The main objective of this workshop was to provide a platform for young women writers to express and share their experiences in an effective manner using their languages and writing skills. The sessions followed by topics such as looking at the experience of the century from a new perspective (by Ms. Eva Ranaweera), the ef
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WERC launched this project with the sponsorship of the Neelan Tiruchelvam Trust ti discuss and critique movies with alternative themes and attempt to educate and sensitive university students, human rights activists and the younger generation. It was intended to encourage participants to discuss, debate and analyse these kinds of situations. The films were based on themes relating to gender discrimination, cultural discrimination, political double play and violence against women, with the aim of exposing certain situ
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WERC’s first effort in training women in trishaw driving was realized in collaboration with the Kantha Shakthi Organisation in Balangoda, in 2007. The second phase of the project inaugurated in Jaffna in June 2010. WERC started the project with the single women in the Jaffna District who were affected by war in different ways. They were also struggling to lead their households in the Jaffna District. However only 11 women were able to complete the training successfully. The inauguration ceremony was held on March,
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