"If It Doesn't Happen To Me, Then It Just Doesn't Happen" - Sri Lanka Announces Launch of 'Equal Studies'
The private screening of the Oscar nominated documentary ‘India’s Daughter’ took place on the 16th of December 2015 at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute.
The highly acclaimed documentary tells the story of the short life and brutal gang rape and murder of a 23 year old medical student, Jyoti Singh, in Delhi in December 2012. Her death sparked unprecedented riots and protests in India for over a month and was a starting sign of a much needed change in India.
Directed by Leslee Udwin; British filmmaker, actress and producer, the documentary takes you through a narration of the events and interwoven to the story line are remarks from Jyoti’s parents and friends as well as the convicted rapists. Comments such as “A girl is far more responsible for rape than a boy…she should just be silent and allow the rape” (Mukesh Singh – Convicted Rapist) and “We have the best culture. In our culture there is no place for a woman” (ML Sharma -Defence Lawyer) are a few statements of many that gives a glimpse into the highly misogynistic social beliefs that exists in modern India.
Towards the end of the documentary a display of global statistics were presented among which it stated that in Sri Lanka it takes 6 to 12 years for a rape case to be solved.
The screening was followed by a panel discussion with Aritha Wickramasinghe, Leslee Udwin, Savithri Wijesekera and Honorable Minister Harin Fernando. The panel discussion served as the platform for the launch of the “Equality Studies Global Initiative” by the United Nations which is already an initiative signed on by 25 countries.
With ambassadors that include Meryl Streep, Sean Penn, Oprah Winfrey, Freida Pinto and Angelina Jolie, Sri Lanka is the first country to implement this project.
At the discussion, the panellists gave these remarks;
Aritha Wickramasinghe
Gender equality and all forms of inequality is a disease. Equality studies is a key solution to a more fairer and equal world.
Hon. Harin Fernando
The industries in Sri Lanka sometimes require women to work in the night, take the night shift. Yet the law in Sri Lanka allows a woman to be questioned by the police if she’s out after 10…… new technology can take us to a new world. We can keep people aware of the law and their rights. We have great plans.
Leslee Udwin
It 100% the response of the women and men to this murder that inspired me to make this documentary. When I was interviewing the rapists, I realised that they genuinely didn’t believe that they’ve done something wrong…. And it’s not the access to education we have to worry about; it’s the content in education. We have educated their minds but we have spectacularly and irresponsibly failed to educate their hearts.
Savithri Wijesekera
Every years, the numbers at ‘Women in Need’ increase. It happens and it’s swept under the carpet. For most men, it’s not important. We talk about cricket and it’s important, but we talk about violence and no one cares. We need women and men, we can’t have half chained and half unchained.
When asked what we can do in Sri Lanka to protest against violence against women and implement better laws to protect women, they had this to say:
Leslee Udwin
We react as nurses. We react after things have happened. We have failed to become surgeons and cut out the root cause.
Hon. Harin Fernando
It’s a mind-set issue. It’s not just men who are programmed, its women as well. Women don’t help other women. Civil society and Initiatives have to push this concept forward and this will help build a platform for the government to act.
Savithri Wijesekera
The biggest problem in Sri Lanka is that it’s in denial. If it doesn’t happen to me, then it just doesn’t happen.
The panel discussion concluded on the assurance that ‘Equality Studies’ will soon be a part of the Sri Lankan Education curriculum.
By Panchali Illankoon
Photographs by Pradeep Dilrukshana
0 Comments
Ruwan says:
Dec 26, 2015 at 12:00 amEquality in 3rd wold non-White countries is an oxymoron. We are very backward societies.