Rally to build society where woman is respected and genuinely loved – WFR
WEDNESDAY, 06 MARCH 2013 
The ‘Women’s Day’ is not a day that should be celebrated only by an individual or an institution as it has a historical importance says the Vice-President of ‘Women For Rights’ (WFR) Ms. Samanmali Gunasinghe.
Speaking at a media conference held by WFR at the Public Library auditorium today (6th) Ms. Gunasinghe said, “Women’s Day has a historical importance. 8th of March was declared as International Women’s Day on a proposal brought to the second International Conference of Working Women held in Copenhagen in 1910 by Comrade Clara Zetkin. Women who worked in factories including garment factories in the USA in the 1850s were severely exploited. Rulers did not give them any rights and they had to work like slaves. Once a group of female workers who had been detained in a factory to get them to work full time died when a fire engulfed the factory. The doors had been locked so that they couldn’t come out even for any emergency. A struggle was launched as a result of this incident, against exploitation and demanding a 12 hour working day. This struggle developed until 1910 and the International Women’s Day is a result of this struggle.
We’re commemorating the 103rd International Women’s Day this year. Today the situation has worsened so that women are losing their fundamental rights. We have lost our right to live peacefully. Women have to go to foreign countries as they are unable to provide for their children. Violence against women, denial of freedom, economic oppression are issues confronted by women. Government’s own statistics show that violence against women has increased by 98% during the 2000 – 2013 period. Child abuse has increased by 168%.
If there is democracy in the country, if fundamental rights are protected and if this is a civilized society how does our society come down to the level where mothers and daughters are raped? Today woman is a commodity that has a price.
When ministers’ sons gamble in night clubs, the local politicians who follow them rape underage girls in broad day light. All women should rally to build a society where the woman is respected and genuinely loved.
‘Women for Rights’’ will organize, to commemorate the International Women’s Day, an agitation under the theme ‘Stop violence, rape and oppression” at Lipton Circus on the 8th and will hold a public seminar in Public Library auditorium at 3.30 p.m. “
The President of WFR Attorney Sumana Benaragama and the Member of eh Executive Committee of WFR for Colombo district Ms. Begam also participated.
Impeachment of Sri Lanka’s Chief Justice and its impact: What do you think?
Photo courtesy Euronews-6 Mar, 2013
Just a few weeks since the impeachment of Sri Lanka’s Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake, no one is really talking about it anymore. Interviews conducted by and featured on Groundviews at the time impeachment proceedings were on clearly flagged serious fears over the independence of the judiciary.
In order to ascertain the lasting impact of the impeachment in the manner it was conducted as well as to understand better the dynamics of public opposition or support towards it,Groundviews has created a brief online questionnaire.
The questionnaire will be open for responses from today until 21 March 2013.Depending on the feedback, results of the questionnaire, along with suitable data visualisations, will be posted on this site.
To answer the questionnaire, please click the button below OR click here to fill it out in a new browser window.
Please pass it on to friends and colleagues.
