Some of Sri Lanka's top stars from cricket to movies endorse and support the SHOW you care campaign.
Issue of Harassment of Women:
Sri Lanka has seen a surge in sexual violence against women in the past few years.
According to the Women and Media Collective there has been a 20% rise in the number of rape cases in Sri Lanka. Harassment in public spaces is a manifestation of a far greater epidemic of domestic violence and rape that represents a broader
issue of disrespect towards women in our society. We believe that turning a blind eye to blatant sexual harassment in a public arena allows for greater deterioration of the current situation. The sad reality is that harassment in public spaces such as buses
has become so much the norm that even women have become desensitized to it.
Why we Need to Act:
Women are an integral part of the Sri Lanka Unites movement and while we strive towards reconciliation we see the need for a significant part of our demographic to be treated with dignity and equality. Hence we began the S.H.O.W You Care initiative that
seeks to provide a platform for young men to take charge against harassment in public spaces. These campaigns seek to empower young men to be part of the solution and take active roles in curbing the harassment experienced by women in public spaces. SHOW
You Care endeavors to create a Sri Lanka that is safe for women while restoring their dignity.
How we Aim to Stop Harassment of Women:
SHOW You Care aims at partnering with schools throughout Sri Lanka, as well as government departments and women's organizations. In partnering with schools, SHOW You Care has various events for both male and female students. SHOW You Care has gained the
support of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and other institutions in order to encourage schools to allow SHOW You Care to enter schools and educate students on the issues of violence against women, how to prevent this violence, the legal consequences and the
best course of action to take when harassment takes place.
Through this campaign SLU is reaching out to young men from schools to participate in the SHOW You Care initiative. They can be part of the solution. During this event, teams of young men will board public buses and first apologize for the harassment that
has taken place in public spaces, they will then hand out information cards to women which contain details on what numbers to call when harassed and the legal consequences for the perpetrator. Finally they will paste stickers containing the same information
on the bus. In a previous campaign, these teams of young men shared their message with more than 30,000 passengers on over 1,000 buses. This bus transportation event compels young men to unite in defending the dignity of women, as well as
empowering young women with information on what courses of action to take in the event of being harassed.
This Project
This time around we hope to acheive the following at our initial event which is a pre-curser to the next bus campaign:
1. Launch a new texting software that will allow women on buses to text there location when harassed- the data which will come in to our database will be collected and given to the police
2. Release a video testimonial of stories told by women who have experienced harassment in public places
3. Distribute DVDs with self defence techiniqes to the girls' schools present
4. Present a signed petition (by those in the audience) to the relevant authorities to take action against harassment
We can no longer turn the other way and be silent about an issue that plagues a very important part of our demographic. We will not rest until the authorities take action and the respect and dignity of women are rightly restored.
Learn more about Sri Lanka Unites:
Website: www.srilankaunites.org
Twitter: https://twitter.com/srilankaunites
