Action to combat violence against women and children

Activities taken to prevent domestic violence against women and children include,

· Surveys on domestic violence in the work areas

· Counseling Clinics

· Awareness Raising Workshops

· Consultations on Human Rights violations

· Action Committee meetings

· Commemorating International Women’s Day

· Commemorating Day Opposing Violence Against Women

· Meetings of Children’s Societies

· Children’s Camp

· Libraries for women and children

· Workshops on Personality Development and Leadership for children

 

The RWF started commemorating International Women’s Day in 1988 at Hanguranketha. The RWF was able to create an opportunity for rural women who did not know even what Women’s Day was to fight for their rights by raising awareness. Since then every in each work area year an exemplary activity which could be a message to society is carried out with the participation of rural women.

 

Apart from this demonstrations, lectures, street drama, leaflets, poster campaigns and presenting of memoranda to Government are done annually with the aim of raising public awareness and winning women’s Wights by mobilizing women, from all RWF work areas.

 

 

On the Day Opposing Violence Against Women, which falls on The 25th of November each year, the RWF organizes protest marches, poster campaigns and lectures etc. to raise public awareness on violence against women and children.

 

 

 

Workshops are conducted in all areas for the Area Activists and Members to educate them about the law and other issues such as-

 

· Women’s and Children’s rights

· What should be our contribution towards a National Policy

· National Legal Framework and its shortcomings

· Where to go and whom to contact when an crime is committed

· How to minimize domestic problems.

· The gender issue

 

Up to now there are 40 children’s societies active in all 8 Work Areas. The total number of children exceeds 1,000.

 

 

These Children’s Societies

 

· Build child leadership

· Develop children’s creative and aesthetic skills

· Make a fine generation of youths

· Direct children towards saving

· Train children to work together and in peace and without racial bias.

· Give rise to an intelligent future genetation through encouraging the interest in general knowledge / reading in children.

 

A children’s camp was held at the Padiyapellala Maha Vidyalaya in the Nuwara Eliya District on 2005- children of our socities in all work areas. with a view to fostering enthusiasm, co-operation, peace, unity and happiness among them. About 230 children participated in this camp.

 

The special feaures of this were cultural pageants, drama contests, camp fire and children’s cultural procession.

 

The winners of the contests were given prizes and certificates while all patricipants were given certificates of attendance.

 

20 children from the Tsunami affected areas were the special guests.

 

Once a week a Human Rights advisor visits the main office. Here persons who have problums are referred to the relevant authorities regarding their particular issues.

 

There were many instances where the RWF had provided relief regarding the complaints received. Among them are the following.

 

in 2002 -

In a Tamil family living in the Kurunegala Work Area, a girl of 12 years was raped by the father. Even though the child had reported the matter to the mother, the latter had not reckoned the gravity of the situation. Finally the Rural Women’s Front intervened and now the girl is in the care of the Child Probationary Unit.

 

In 2003 -

In the Mahiyangana Work Area

A 15 year old girl in the Galle Baddegama Work Area

International Women’s Day 2006 was held at the Galle M.C. Grounds with the participation of 3,000 Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim women. Women’s organization ad and many other organizations throughout the country joined with us to make two events a great success.