Challenging gender bias on Women’s Day

Women In Need (WIN Sri Lanka) is an organization synonymous with supporting women in times of crisis around the country. Established in 1988, WIN Sri Lanka’s 33 years of operations include a plethora of initiatives that help protect women from domestic and all forms of gender-based violence. Through its operations island-wide, WIN offers psychological counselling, legal support, a 24/7 caller helpline and mobile application 2six4 which provides access to vital information while also connecting women and girls to service providers during crisis situations. WIN also runs 4 emergency shelters for women and girls victimised by abuse in Sri Lanka; they are maintained in partnership with the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs and WIN’s funders.

While providing these services for victims of violence to ensure their safety and protection, WIN engages in advocating with the policy makers, law enforcement authority and other actors who play key roles in creating a safe environment for women and girls, to ensure women’s rights are protected, upheld and further enhanced.
These collective efforts have enabled WIN to help protect, counsel, rebuild and educate women as well as the community at large.  

The widest issues contributing to gender-based violence and gender inequality are the prevailing gender biases and stereotypes that exist in society. These biases exist in all areas of our lives; within communities, in the workplace, in the home and even within our sense of self. In turn these thinking patterns fuel the high prevalence of patriarchy contributing to the increasing rates of violence against women in the country, owing to the fact that stereotyping contributes to men seeing themselves as possessing gender power over women. 

Even in the workplace environment, women are seen as being the weaker sex, instead of for their full potential. This, in turn has contributed to women holding fewer positions of leadership and power, in both corporate and public service contexts, which explains the meager number of women in political representation and the opposition to women’s positions of eminence. In order to combat these archaic thinking patterns and to help address gender biases in an open dialogue, WIN is partnering with the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Sri Lanka for a month-long series of interactive content and other digital activities around Women’s Day 2021 this March. 

In addition to a vibrant social media campaign that directly questions audiences about their hidden biases, the Women’s Day 2021 initiative by WIN will also include two Instagram Live sessions moderated by Hans Billimoria (Grassrooted Trust) and Natalie Soysa (Bendr). 

One Instagram Live session is tipped to feature women who have fought for and supported gender justice and equality. The YouTube released seminar planned for March 24 will feature an extensive panel of experts and dialogue on how gender biases and stereotypes pose challenges for women when accessing justice and services.  

We encourage you to engage with the month-long initiative running on all Women In Need and Daily Mirror Online social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. 

Awareness and self-questioning are keys to eradicating gender biases that impede the development and equality of women and girls in Sri Lanka, thereby contributing to increased gender-based violence. Be a part by engaging and interacting with WIN’s IWD campaign 2021.