By Rohini Weerasinghe, Former Director - Kantha Shakthi

The 1995 World Conference on Women in Beijing marked a defining moment in my life as a feminist. The sheer energy and unity of 45,000 women gathered for a single cause—gender equality, women’s rights, and empowerment—was awe-inspiring. The adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action (BPFA) provided the clearest direction we had ever received for women’s empowerment.

"The meeting was so inspiring. It was a powerful statement on women’s solidarity across the globe."

Returning from Beijing, life became busier than ever. With Kantha Shakthi, the women’s organization I was part of, we launched a series of projects inspired by BPFA to empower women economically, politically, socially, and culturally. We also continued to work with the Sri Lanka NGO Forum for Women (SLNGGOF) on national women’s rights issues.

Empowerment in Action

Our project covered a wide range of areas:

• Education, training, and skills development

• Economic empowerment

• Political, social, and cultural upliftment

• Health and support for women in crisis

• Violence against women

• Empowerment of children, especially girls

We worked to mobilize women for empowerment, foster solidarity, encourage savings and the formation of women's development collectives, and even supported women to enter male-dominated fields like three-wheel driving and carpentry. Our initiatives also included storytelling sessions, community events, and joyous activities like dancing, singing, and picnics.

"Mobilizing women, building solidarity, and encouraging saving strategies became pillars of our approach."

Our target groups included low-income rural women from Balangoda and Weligepola (Ratnapura District) and women affected by the 2004 tsunami in Matara and Hambantota.

We took pride in enabling 11 rural women to attend international conferences across Asia and Europe. Additionally, 20 girls aged 13-16 participated in exchange programs in India, Nepal, and Italy.

National-Level Impact

With SLNGGOF, we led campaigns against violence, advocated for increased political representation of women, and lobbied for legal reforms, including the Domestic Violence Act of 2005 and the 1995 Rape Law reform.

"Addressing professional groups on women’s human rights was not easy. I had to face resistance, especially from male participants."

In 1996 and 1997, I served as a consultant for the Centre for the Study of Human Rights (CSHR) at the University of Colombo.

Achievements and Recognition

1. International Women’s Development Agency (IWDA) Evaluation (2010):

   "The Empowerment Project in Balangoda and Weligepola was an all-round 98% success."

2. Post-Tsunami Healing Tour (2006):

   "A four-day tour for 300 grief-stricken women helped them overcome immense personal loss."

3. Conflict-Resolution Residential Program:

   "14 couples separated due to conflict rebuilt lifelong harmony after a 4-day residential program."

4. Global Education Tour in Australia (2007):

   "Sharing tsunami recovery success stories across five cities was deeply moving and affirming."

5. Recognition from WERC (2015):

   "I was honored for my lifelong contribution to the feminist cause and social justice in Sri Lanka."

The Challenges Ahead

Despite the progress, challenges remain:

• Recognition of women’s unpaid care work

• Acknowledging women’s contribution to the national economy

• Rural poverty and post-war challenges

• Infrastructure gaps for women

• Violence against women and girls

• Discrimination against LGBTQ+ communities

• Lack of official recognition for women’s organizations

• Negative media portrayals of women’s issues

"There is still a long way to go."

My Message to Women

"Women, be prepared to hold the sky in your hands and stand firm and strong on your feet on the earth, unshaken by lightning and thunder, and in a few minutes, sing and enjoy the rain that’s yours."