An Open Appeal to the Sri-Lankan Government from North-East Women’s Collective!
On this day of 11th March 2025, we women of Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri-Lanka gathered in the city of Jaffna to make our International Women’s Day appeal to the Sri-Lankan government. Our objective is to inform the government, that the present government has a fundamental objective to create a structural change and to establish democracy but still the state mechanism is being functioning without any changes and reveal the sufferings continuously being faced by women.
We emphasize the government not only to eliminate the corruption and irresponsible functions of the state administration but also the necessity to eliminate the male dominant, racist and authoritative ideologies that influence the state machinery.
Therefore, we bring the following issues as burning issues to the attention of the Sri-Lankan government:
1. The investigations of the state intelligence officers against women human rights defenders and social workers have been increased in Northern and Eastern provinces. Specifically, male intelligence officers follow the women, making telephone calls to them and visiting their offices and homes. Women human rights defenders are summoned for investigations and being questioned by male officers for several hours
2. It is not at all appropriate for Sri-Lanka which is a member state of the United Nations to summoning the women human rights defenders for investigations by the Terrorism
Investigation Department and intending to portray their human rights and humanitarian activities as terrorism
3. Language right is our basic right. But still the official documents of the government are being sent to Tamil women in Sinhala language
4. Truth seeking and justice mechanisms must be established for the families of enforced disappeared persons
5. There are thousands of women who were injured in the war and living with shrapnel in their bodies. Reparations must be given to them
6. Stop the arbitrary arrest and detention of women by male police and visiting the houses at
night-time for searches and investigation
7. Take immediate action to stop sexual bribery and exploitations perpetrated by the government officers
8. Several of our women and children in the North and East are still living as refugees due to the government’s systemic land grabbing. Due to the arbitrary land grabbing by government departments such as Forest Department and Archeological department, land encroachments by the state military, women have lost their habitats and agricultural lands and face economic devastation
9. The economic activities of state military in North and East has affected the women self-employers
10. The coastal community has been affected by the mineral exploitation in the coasts and due to that women are heavily affected
We urge the Sri-Lankan government to consider the above stated issues and to ensure justice and peaceful life for women.
North – East Women’s Collective (NEWC)
Sri – Lanka
11th March 2025
CC:
1. His Excellency President Mr. Aura Kumara Disanayake
2. Hon. Prime Minister Mrs. Harini Amarasuriya
3. Hon. Minister Mrs. Saroja Savithri Paulraj, Women and Child
Affairs
4. SriLanka Human Rights Commission
