By Rebecca Reichmann Tavares –
Dr. Rebecca Reichmann Tavares
“Women hold up more than half the sky,” Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said during a high-level event at United Nations headquarters in September this year, which saw 80 world leaders coming together to commit to ending discrimination against women by 2030. “It is a proven and accepted fact that women’s empowerment and their contribution are vital for the sustainable progress of all our nations, and the world.”
The event was organised against the backdrop of the adoption of a new global development agenda by UN Member States. Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development sets out 17 global goals, including a standalone goal on gender equality – the result of intense and sustained advocacy by UN Women and women’s groups. The targets specified under the goals include the “elimination of all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation” as well as the elimination of “all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation”.
Sri Lanka has made important strides in the journey towards gender equality. It adopted a ‘Women’s Charter’ in 1993, two years before the globally agreed Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action which recommended that countries draw up national plans of action to advance women’s rights. In addition, Sri Lanka’s Prevention of Domestic Violence Act, 2005, seeks to address intra-family violence by providing a civil remedy. Existing laws have also been strengthened to enhance the scope of legal protection for women through amendments to the Penal Code. This includes Amendment No. 22 of 1995 which defined constituted rape, incest and sexual abuse, harassment and exploitation. The Ministry of Women and Child Affairs is in the process of formulating a National Action Plan on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence.
These are all very significant steps. However, in Sri Lanka and across all countries, violence against women continues to be one of the most widespread human rights violations. It is the outcome of pervasive discrimination and inequality and not only devastates lives but also damages communities and impairs development. Worldwide, one in three women have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, many of them from an intimate partner.
Ending violence against women is one of the UN’s key priorities. Around the world, in partnership with governments and women’s groups, UN Women helps governments strengthen and implement national laws and policies to address violence against women in conformity with international norms and standards. It helps women access the police and the justice system and provides much-needed support to survivors of violence. It focuses on prevention, for example by working with municipal bodies and community partners to ensure that cities are safe spaces for women and girls.
Through the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women, UN Women supports initiatives to end gender-based violence where they matter most. It manages the United Nations Secretary-General’s UNiTE to End Violence Against Women campaign, observing the 25th of every month as Orange Day, symbolizing a future free from violence against women and girls. To mark 16 Days of Activism to End Violence against Women, from 25 November to 10 December, UN Women mobilizes governments, civil society, students, volunteers, lawmakers and policymakers, urging action to prevent and end violence against women. In 2014, for example, UN Women and UN partners along with Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Child Development and Women’s Affairs launched a social media campaign that informed users about a helpline for victims of gender-based violence. Developed and managed by the National Committee on Women of the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, the helpline provides information on legal aid, psycho-social support and counselling services available for survivors of violence. The trilingual campaign is estimated to have reached 256,000 users across Sri Lanka.
UN Women is convinced that gender equality is not a ‘women’s issue’. Involvement of men and boys is crucial to the success of all efforts to raise awareness, counter negative stereotypes and end violence against women. UN Women’s HeforShe Campaign speaks directly to this, providing a platform to men and boys to show their solidarity and stand up for gender equality. The Campaign will be launched in Sri Lanka in 2016, engaging individuals, communities, non-governmental organisations, private corporations, government leaders, activists and celebrities as agents of change.
The global march towards gender equality is now unstoppable, and Sri Lanka can show the way. President Sirisena’s commitment is an indication of strong political will to bring transformative change. This commitment, when matched by adequate resources and the involvement of the private sector, civil society, academia and women’s groups, can significantly accelerate the momentum towards gender equality and the achievement of ‘Planet 50:50’ by 2030.
*Dr. Rebecca Reichmann Tavares is Representative, UN Women Multi-Country Office for India, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka
Amarasiri / November 25, 2015
Dr. Rebecca Reichmann Tavares
RE: Ending Violence Against Women Is A Global Priority?
Starting Violence Against Women Is A Global Priority for Wahhabis and their clones, The ISIS, Taliban Boko-Haram etc.
Who supports them?
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Boom Boom / November 26, 2015
What is it with these Americans with names like Samantha, Rachel, Sarah and Rebecca that they think they have the right to lay down the global agenda?
This woman comes from nowhere, and tells us that “Ending Violence Against Women Is A Global Priority”. Global priority for us is solving the problem of hunger.
We know that in the sex-obsessed, white, western world girlfriend and wife bashing is epidemic due to jealousy of men about womens’ sexual connections outside marriage and minor issues like not preparing a ‘hot’ meal.
Any violence in the poor world is due to economic factors and the stresses coming from it. So to solve the problem here, we need our own ideas to solve poverty. They int he west need civilising themselves.
We must clearly tell busybodies like “Rebecca” just because they think they have been “chosen” by G-d to lead humanity, the rest of the world is not going to be led by their mythical beliefs.
Go home Rebecca and serve your husband a hot meal if you want to escape violence. Leave us alone, we don’t need your [Edited out] ‘leadership’.
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Richard / November 26, 2015
This guy Boom Boom is living proof that we have a long way to go. Consider his advice: “Go home Rebecca and serve your husband a hot meal if you want to escape violence.”
That is, a woman must serve hot meals to her husband or be deservedly beaten up!
I pity his wife if he has a wife who has not run away from him.
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Boom Boom / November 26, 2015
“Richard” from the underground media monitoring lab at the US embassy,Interesting to see you come to defend your colleague.
However, you don’t seem to have enough intelligence (except for the spying variety) to work out the context of my remark earlier in the comment. I made the point that in western countries the violence against women is perpetrated for reasons like not serving a hot mwal. That is why I advised Rebecca to do that if she wants to escape violence.
As to comments about my wife, I don’t wish to step down to your level except to say that your own dear has expressed the desire to be in my company. Are you going to bash her now? I bet you will.
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Amarasiri / November 26, 2015
Dr. Rebecca Reichmann Tavares
RE: Ending Violence Against Women Is A Global Priority?
Wahhabis and their clones Who supports them? Can you drive in Wahhabi Saudi Arabia? You get a chance to legally share a husband with 3 other wives?You can be headache free for three days.
So destroying, Wahhabis, their clones and supporters should be a Global Priority.
The spread of Wahhabism, and the West’s responsibility to the world
In 2013, the European Union declared Wahhabism the main source of global terrorism. But it’s not just a “Middle East problem”; it is our problem, too.
BY KAREN ARMSTRONG
[Edited out]
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Amarasiri / November 26, 2015
Dr. Rebecca Reichmann Tavares
RE: Ending Violence Against Women Is A Global Priority?
Starting Violence Against Women Is A Global Priority for Wahhabis and their clones, The ISIS, Taliban Boko-Haram etc.
Dr. Rebecca Reichmann Tavares, what can you do for this women?
Geetha demands action on Saudi maid
2015-11-25 21:58:05
http://www.dailymirror.lk/96861/geetha-demands-action-on-saudi-maid
UPFA Galle District MP Geetha Kumarasinghe urged the government to take immediate steps to save the Sri Lankan maid in Saudi Arabia who is to be stoned to death on charge of adultery. Ms Kumarasinghe questioned in Parliament yesterday as to what steps the government had taken to obtain a pardon on the maid. Also, she questioned as to who got this woman to confess. Commenting on the budget she said it was hard to think that the authorities had taken into consideration the needs and aspirations of women. “Prices of essential goods should have been reduced in the budget,” she said adding that the prices of essential goods were something which affected woman as housewives.( – See more at: http://www.dailymirror.lk/96861/geetha-demands-action-on-saudi-maid#sthash.ngXsxtbF.dpuf
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Amarasiri / November 28, 2015
Dr. Rebecca Reichmann Tavares
27/11/2015 News
SL Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Approves Stoning to Death of SL House Maid
Stoning to Death: A Violation of the Qur’an
However…The Wahhabis, Salafis and their clones Do That…
“This is a chapter We have sent down and made obligatory. We have sent down clear revelations in it so that you may take heed: flog the male and the female adulterers and fornicators (الزانية والزاني) one hundred times. Do not let compassion for them keep you from carrying out Allah’s law if you believe in Allah and the Last Day – and ensure a group of believers witnesses the punishment.” (Qur’an 24:2)
SL Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Approves Stoning to Death of SL House Maid
Newly appointed Sri Lankan ambassador to Saudi Arabia Azmi Thassim has criticized the local media for their comments on Saudi law of stoning to death.
Recently a Sri Lankan house maid was sentenced to death by stoning in Saudi Arabia for alleged relationship with another Si Lankan. Media has criticized the law as inhuman. But the SL ambassador Azmi Thassim depending the saudi decision has told Arab News published in Jedda that “the problem lies with the lack of awareness of local laws. If someone is not happy with the laws of Kingdom, they should choose not to come.”
In fact what the SL Ambassador saying is that the women who is to be stoned to death should not have come to Saudi Arabia and we need to respect the decision of stoning her to death , commented a female human rights defender. Human rights are universal and stoning to death is being condemned world wide today, she further said.
Speaking at the Sri Lankan International School in Jeddah he has futher said that “our country is looking forward to a positive change and it is our duty as citizens to work together to put the country first, It is as important to start educating our community back in Sri Lanka that they should understand and respect the laws of Saudi Arabia.”
Arab News says that the Ambassador Thassim decried attacks on the rules and regulations of the Kingdom in the Sri Lankan media, He has said that media criticisms can harm our relationship with Saudi Arabia.
“This can harm our relationship with Saudi Arabia,” he said. “The problem lies with the lack of awareness of local laws. If someone is not happy with the laws of Kingdom, they should choose not to come.”
Yes, this can harm the relationship with the Ibis, Devil Following Saudi Wahhabis and Salafis.
http://www.quranicpath.com/misconceptions/adultery_punishment.html
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Spring Koha / November 26, 2015
No doubt the message will get through to many Sri Lankans. However as a national service, I shall forward this article to young Daham Sirisena and his many contemporaries, sons of politicians and ex-Presidents who all exhibit an antediluvian attitude in their relationship with the opposite sex.
We must continue to keep faith of even the worst of our species to see the light, and change.
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Rajash / November 26, 2015
“Sri Lanka has made important strides in the journey towards gender equality. It adopted a ‘Women’s Charter’ in 1993,…”
Rebecca dont be fooled by it.
Sri Lanka rush in to adopt all kind of international charters but only on paper …they do not apply it in practice.
Have you heard of the famous quote of our ex president.
“..our soldiers were fighting with one hand while holding the Human Rights Charter in the other hands..”
similar logic applies to when it comes to the Womens’s Charter as well.
Sri Lanka is indeed a more liberal society compared to other South East Asian countries…women are more liberal.and have more freedom .in the sense they wear mini skirts in publice, go to bars and night clubs….but the Sri Lankan women are not by any means more equal in the society comapared women in other South Asian Countries
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Amarasiri / November 26, 2015
Dr. Rebecca Reichmann Tavares
“Sri Lanka has made important strides in the journey towards gender equality. It adopted a ‘Women’s Charter’ in 1993,…”
Yes, great strides, and women are being raped every day,
It hASse even extended to tourists, and they rape the women and kill their husbands. The politicians participate in it.
Yes, great strides have been made.
The only way for women to protect seen to be clad in an Abaya or wear a Niquab and wear booby trapped Chastity belts..
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Rajash / November 26, 2015
Amarasiri:”The only way for women to protect seen to be clad in an Abaya or wear a Niquab and wear booby trapped Chastity belts.. “
You mean [Edited out]
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Mallaiyuran / November 27, 2015
Dr. Rebecca Reichmann Tavares said: “Sri Lanka has made important strides in the journey towards gender equality. It adopted a ‘Women’s Charter’ in 1993, two years before the globally agreed Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action which recommended that countries draw up national plans of action to advance women’s rights.”
We have all protections lows from the government abuses. But with that all, we have PTA too. That’s implementation is flexible, especially when it come about minorities. Anybody suspected is allowed to be arrested and hold indefinitely. How this can used to beat an army informant’s wife to make her abort her pregnancy and lose her right to migrate of foreign country under Yahapalanaya is very interesting recent case. Jeyakumari and her child daughter were put in the prison, not for taking parting in any terrorism direct under PTA, but using the PTA in, like other Lankawe’s lows, innovative ways. Jeyakumari lost three sons and their father, the entire male member of that family. It is said only one of them fought in freedom war. The case of the last ones, Mother and the daughter she still do not know. There is a widespread belief that he is with the army in some secret torture camp, for forced labor. The left out women, mother and sister, with their women’s nature, could not live without any male members in the house. They cannot live without the boy beloved to be somewhere in Lankawe, suffering in an army camp. So they want their person back. The left out female members’ plight to find out the slipped one into the hell of the army’s torture chambers is the Odyssey of the New Christian Era. All these were by the work of innovative use of the PTA. It cannot be accepted Lankawe interpreting the PTA even to capture free Tamil slave workers for forced labor. This is how PTA comes in to protect the woman’s rights, standing above all Lankawe’s lows. To stop their search for the missing one, the only thing needed be done is to arrest Jeyakumari and her child daughter. That is all what PTA does. It supersedes all other eye washing Lankawe’s lows. So to trigger the PTA for this circumstance to arrest the Woman and her child girls, an army informant Gobi was brought in. As like all other army informants, Gobi too might have had his past. But on these days he was married with a pregnant wife and working for the army on hard labor for his living. This army informant was forced to enter into their house in the particular night while the women were sleeping. So the women screamed for help from the stranger entering their house. Then the army, lurking around her house ready to act, entered her house without arrest warrant, and arrested accusing her and the child as were harboring a LTTE. For Lankawe army a LTTE is always a LTTE. This is what happened to Pillaiyan too. Now the EX, government party Eastern CM, Pillaiyan is arrested under PTA for reviving LTTE and he is kept inside without public connection under PTA. But the real reason is, he might turn into a dangerous witness against Yahapalanaya government on the d UNHRC resolution’s proposed investigations. So now, a woman and her child have been arrested under PTA, violating their rights to seek out their relative. Once they were arrested with comfortable margin of safety in the cover of PTA, the unwanted witness Gobi, the army informant, who was forced to enter their house has be wiped out. So then a Tamil, army person came handy. He was used to take Gobi to Nedunkerny jungles and shoot him. Instead of this Tamil army man coming back from the jungle and remains as a new witness, in the jungle itself, he was shot and his body was transferred to Anuradhapura. This was acted as “cross fire incident”. But no judges went to the incident cite and inspected the evidences. His family never sued anybody. Everything was very clean here under PTA, other than the ailing pregnant wife of Gobi. PTA was again extended to arrest the pregnant woman as a terrorist for the reason of she was harboring her husband and she beaten to abort. This innovative, unlimited prolonging use of the PTA bothered some human rights activists. So, the unwanted interference in this operation from the human rights activists Father Praveen and Ruki Fernando was resolved by arresting them under PTA for supporting to revive LTTE. That was a naturally needed and inevitable extension of the PTA for the continuation Mahinda Chitatanta of that time government. After the Job No1 and perfectly cleaning and mopping of it all were done flawlessly, still the forcefully aborted pregnant woman was not taken care for satisfaction. When she was beaten up to abort, she was saved by a hospital. As the PTA was ineffective in protecting her women’s rights, she was handed over from Mahindha Chitanta to Yahapalanaya statues to take care. Yahapalanaya, with its policy of universal protection of its hero soldiers from any investigation, has stopped her from going to any foreign country. The ugly prime minister Ranil Mahata, who was in Temple Tree house Jan 8th, while the coup was taking place, as per his promise to the coup victim Old King, he made sure Gobi’s wife will not be present in front of OISL to accuse the Yahapalanaya government’s continuation of the Chitanata services. Yet the failure of the PTA’s effectiveness in Gobi’s wife is noted. So like the election lows which helped the Tamils to unseat the old King about to be taken care, PTA too is under consideration to be taken care. International governments are already told it will be replaced (to cover up any loopholes).
These days is categorized as country use rape as weapon. Using rape as weapon is different from, ordinary rape crime, police’s opportunistic brutalities like in the case of Admiral Loisma , or a winning part feast on the lost ones. Using rape a weapon is a policy matter of governments. It is used control enemy rather than win an enemy. It goes beyond, fear, pain, loss of self-indignity, respect with in the society, isolation from the society…. This is used to instill a thundering chill in the minds of victims and the society associated with it. It is a weapon more powerful than other equally bad weapons like Chemical weapon, biological weapon, atomic weapons lie WMD…. But less cost or even to use more enthusiasm more it used. Lanka has found out the sweetness of the ugly face of the rape weapon. It is something now cannot be reversed. In fact, the army’s resistance to changes within it mainly comes out of this. They are not ready to this type of victims. This government policy started only after 1993
Sorry Dr. Dr. Tavares, we have all kind of “lows” in the books, not worth for the trees gave up their life for paper making. If Lankawe put its eye to improve or recognize of a missing or troubled, weak area of rights issue, that is the end of it. We had the section 29 of Minority Protection Clause in the Soulbury constitution. It was introduced, if in the independent Ceylon, if ever any minorities suffer by mijority’s revenges, to protect the minorities. It was from that theoretical situation, we the Appe Anuwa uplifted our minority rights in to the current Genocide Crime of brutal enough to be investigated by UNHRC. After we received the freedom under that constitution, Appe Andu started to protect the minorities by disenfranchising the Tamils. You can see how it gave ways to improve the Tamils rights and where we are now. SWRD brought lows to equal use for both languages. From that onward the 65% of government’s jobs held by Tamils have dwindled less than 1% in that. I can tell a lot about how the Lankawe is protecting the minorities in Book lows, at which the Lankawe is very good, and how it abuse the same. But, now, the issue is about women’s right.
We are the number one in protecting the women rights in Books of Lankawe’s low. I was told Lankawe’s Franchisement laws on women voting are much older than some of modern-western democracies (Universal Franchise 1931). But our champion of rights, Appe Andu hare ran too fast and has broken its leg. The election Lows and systems in Lanka is amended, to keep the rich and the upper class ones in power, many times. If it has, now, equal gender voting rights, it is in a worse situation the “Tamil is an official language” in Lankawe. There is not one single woman was selected from Tamil area for Parliament. Up country is Ok, but it didn’t either. At least for now, just leave it. In north, the women issue is not a minority issue. It is silly enough to laugh at it, it is the majority issue. No woman is elected from the North, Which has one of the oldest women voting culture. (Even Vijayakala Maheswaran is there not by real votes. She is in Parliament only by the advantage created by proportional voting system.) The Old King, in the NPC election, created a widow’s party and promoted it. Even the most celebrated war hero could not make any woman to win from his part or that party in that election. I believe, out of 39 members, only one female got the job in NPC.
Lankawe have had first Prime Minister and First President of women in the world, by churning those out of the Attanagalla Royal Family. It too had the first woman political leader whose civil right removed for her notorious, brutal dictatorship, by another equally notorious dictator. It had very early woman politicians like Sirimavo, Wimala Wijewardene and currently Pavitra, Geethanjali… too. These all are the production of Lankawe’s ugly, notorious, political culture, where powerful and the pantham for it thrives.
North has 90,000 of war widows out 900,000 living. This might be the current highest in the world. Lankawe is a country use rape against women as a weapon. Even, when this army was recruited to UN, they went there and raped innocent women. When Secretary Kerry visited to Lankawe he said the human rights violation is all over the world and he accused his country too. It was simply a blindfolded of Lankawe’s political culture and equaling the cat to an elephant. So Dr. Rebecca Reichmann Tavares, rather than of evaluating on the face value and parsing the cheating Lankawe’s Laws which are only in the books, should being the seriousness of the Lankawe’s women status in UN and put pressure on the countries to get relief for these women who are under the grip of Buddhist, ISIS rulers of Lankawe whose sole aim is to rebuild a Mythical Caliphate thought be have existed under Dutu Gemunu.
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