Young Women's Political Empowerment Programme

This initiative hopes to transform the conflict in Sri Lanka by providing training for women from a large, but marginalised, Tamil community in the hope that they will take an active part in politics, the government of their country, and the resolution of the conflict.

Description

The initiative started in July 2006 and its target group is young women in the tea plantation communities. Talented women interested in politics are invited and selected as beneficiaries of the initiative and they are provided with the necessary knowledge to become future political leaders for the plantation community.

This leadership knowledge will enable them to be sensitive to ethnic conflict, financial management, and conflict resolution and therefore assist them to work for peace in the plantation community.

Aims / Objectives

We aim to use the initiative to empower Tamil women to take part in politics, hopefully leading to the inclusion of their voice in the legislative structures like Provincial Councils. This will enable the women to have a say concerning the issues behind the conflict that affects their lives. In our experience women approach conflict differently to men, prefering non-violent conflict transformation. Therefore the initiative hopes to contribute to the positive conflict transformation process in the country by introducing Tamil female voices in to it. 

How it is Articulated

The initiative was advertised in the media and through the network of organisations we have in the area. We asked for interested women to send in applications; after processing these we conducted personal interviews. Finally, 25 women were selected who we judged to have the best characteristics and qualifications to take an active part in politics.

They go through a 12 month programme with classes and 4 day residential programmes each month that promote their awareness on gender issues, human rights, democracy, non-violent conflict transformation, peace building, economic issues, Sri Lankan politics, the history of party political structures in the country, and constitutional studies, amongst others.

This curriculum is developed by university lecturers from universities such as Peradeniya and they participate as resource persons as well.

North-South exchange programs are incorporated into the programs to give them first hand experience of the factors related to the war situation and more knowledge on it. 

Achievements / Learning Points

The change in the women who take part in the initiative has already become visible. Earlier they were shy and not forthcoming with their ideas. But through being in the program for the past months they have grown in confidence and are more outspoken. This change itself is extremely rewarding.

Currently there are no women from the plantation community in the provincial councils and if these women get in (after their training finishes at the end of 2007), they will be the first women to be in that position. Therefore they will act as role models to encourage other women to take a politically active role in issues that affect them. 

However, it is a challenge to see how the male dominated political structure will allow women to take part in it, especially since this particular group is a thrice marginalised group, being women, Tamils, and plantation workers. Even for the launching of the initiative, we had to prepare the ground through our network even amongst the plantation community for it to be acceptable. 

Geographical Area of Operation

Badulla District 

Funding Resources

Fes- fridech Ebert Stifitung

Number of People Involved

30