Discussion with women headed families in Jaffna

Discussion with women headed families in Jaffna on 09.01.2013

Beginning, all participants were welcome explaining the objective of the program by Mr. Imbanayagam who is the coordinator of Jaffna district.

Lavina Hasanthi Perera who is the women coordinator of National Fisheries Solidarity Movement addressed the women then.

The basic issues of them-

Nidawan (Camp)

 There are 20 women headed families

1.     1. There is no land to settle perfectly

      TheAy have moving place to place in Maility and Valikamam as displaced people since 1990.  Now they have been informed by land owners to remove even form the lands that they have settled temporally.

2.     2.  Lack of job opportunities

3.    3. There is no enough money women headed families to spent for education of their children

4.  4.Women headed families are facing fogging even in the same community. 

  Sabapathi (Camp)

     There are 11 women headed families in the camp.

The issues they are facing-

1.  No  any proper system to resettle them

2. They have been informed to remove form the camp by the land owners of the land which is used as the camp sending letters approved    by the Divisional Secretary.

3. Providing subsidies to them   has been stopped since 2010.

4. Lack of job opportunities for them.

5. Education of the children is  dropping down due to  the poetry of their parents

Konatkulam( Mallagam B) (Camp)

There are 15 women headed families

The issues they face-

1.      No  any proper system to resettle them

2.      Subsidies has been limited

3.      No job opportunities

Selvapuram (Village)

           There are 10 women headed families

The issues they face

1.  and and houses were not provided for the people who came form Vanni areas

( More than 25 families who came from live in the temporary huts in privet lands)

2. No lavatory facilities 

3. No economic strength to spend money for their children’s education

4.  Subsidies has been limited

        Yogapuram (Village)

There are 4  women headed families

The issues they face

1. There is a camp called “ Yogapuaram Welfare Camp” which has 87 families who came from Tellippalei, Vimankaman and Varathalavilan in Jaffna because of  being displaced  in 1990.

2. Five families have come for Vanni.

3. No lavatory facilities 

4. No job opportunities

5.There is no facility  to be provided education for their children

         Urumbirai (Village)
 1. No economic strength to spend money for their children’s education
2. No job opportunities

Sunnagam (Village)

There are 10 women headed families

1.No economic strength to spend money for their children’s education

2.No job opportunities 

Facilitators-

·       Lavina Hasanthi Perera

·       Anthony Jesudasan

·       N. Imbernayagam

·       Chithra

.       Wasanthi

Women headed families who participated from-

1.      Needavan camps

2.      Kannagipuram

3.      Sabapathi

4.      Konatkulam

5.      Selvapuram

6.      Yogapuram

7.      Urumpirai

8.      Sunnagam

 

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Article of Tamil Mirror

http://tamil.dailymirror.lk/2010-07-14-09-13-23/2010-08-12-10-11-54/2010-08-12-10-15-52/55098-2012-12-19-09-50-55.html

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Women convention in Tricomalee

 National Fisheries Solidarity Movement working with IDPS and women that heading the family, for several years in North and East.  During the period we identified that there are large number of women have been lost their husbands due to the war , natural disasters, disappearances and accidents in trincomalee district. Among them, war and disappearance of husbands have caused the major reason for the women to become family head.

In this situation, we planned to conduct a women convention  to make a real annotation on the issue. As first stage we conduct a Parallel survey in ten villages of Trincomalee district where NAFSO working with for several years.

 We prepared a report on that survey and submitted it to the political authorities, social activists, government sector and general public.

 We conducted the women convention with around 180 family headed women under the theme of “Empower the Family Headed Women and Protect the Right to Live” with several objectives in Center of  Municipal council on 11^th of December 2012 in Trincomalee.

 Among our objectives, 

1.  Socialize the widows who were neglected  by the society through organizing as well.  2. Make a relationship between the  government sector and the women headed families  for develop proper measures to strengthen them economically.  3. Help them to acquire Social recognition with strength that living as people who have no rights and privileges. 4.  Strengthen them to act independently in the society by eliminating the narrow ideas of the society on the women who lost their partner and defeat the cultural barriers for them. 5. Develop them socially and economically by help them to win rights enjoyed by the common society.

 Social activists, representatives from civil organizations, representatives of political parties, governmental officers and women headed families participated to the convention in the Town and Gravest division in Trincomalee district. 

Chairman of municipal council in Trinconalee participated as the chief guest of the convention  and former chairman of the local government was there in the front , Mr. D.V. Chinthaka Vijevardana, coordinating secretary of the deputy fisheries minister, Mr. Sachchidanandan, advisor of the NGO forum were among the speakers of the program.

Mr. Sumith Nishantha, Director of planning in ministry of education in western province made the main speech on the theme of “the plans of the government to enhance the life condition of the women headed families” as the invited speaker.  Mr. Herman Kumara made a speech as the national convener of NAFSO in the convention.

women coordinator and some officials of National Fisheries Solidarity Movement, Mr. Anannda Peris, Coordinator of District Fisheries Solidarity and A.M. Raheem Nana, Animator of that organization participated to the convention.   Some Media come form regional level as well as even Colombo gave media coverage as well.   



http://www.vikalpa.org/?p=13534   

www.lankanewsweb.com

http://passionparade.blogspot.com/2012/12/breadwinners.html

http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/13779 

http://tamil.dailymirror.lk/2010-07-14-09-13-23/2010-08-12-10-11-54/2010-08-12-10-15-52/55098-2012-12-19-09-50-55.html 

http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Women-headed-families:-no-husband,-no-home-and-no-future-for-their-children-26691.html

http://tamil.dailymirror.lk/2010-07-14-09-13-23/2010-08-12-10-11-54/2010-08-12-10-15-52/55098-2012-12-19-09-50-55.html

 
  

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Awareness program on Women and Legal Protection

Awareness program on Women and

Legal Protection

An awareness program on women and legal protection was held in the center of fisher cooperative in Batticalao on 5^th of September 2012. There were more than 30 women participants  who came from Thumpalachcholei, Urugamam, Vellikakani, Kopaveli and Kithul in the program.

Mr. Selver kumar who is the coordinator of Batticaloa district made the welcome speech and  Miss. Lavina  Hasnthi who is the women coordinator of NAFSO explained the objective of the program.   As her, objective of this program was to get basic knowledge about Women and Legal Protection for selected women headed members in above mentioned five villages.

Miss. M. Mudira who is a lawyer of Batticaloa court played the resource person role.  She considered wider areas of the legal process which related women as well as specially single mothers whose husbands were lost, diapered and disabled because of the  civil war in the country.

Main areas of the discussion-

·       Women were educated about the procedure to access the court on legal matter

·       Basic understanding about the court in Baticaloa as well as court system in Sri Lanka

·       Category of the  problems and  relevant  courts

Ex- Divorce case, Land issues, Domestic violation

·       Legal process to get a birth certificate especially for the children who were not given birth certificates yet

·       Legal actions against the problems that women face in individual as well as village wise

Mr. Anthony Jesudasan who is one of the project coordinators of NAFSO intervened after the main part of the awareness program to discussion about different issues such as violation of women, women abuse and harassment against women.

Participants pointed out many issues that they are facing in their life. They requested to continue this program. They appreciated  NAFSO intervention on this mater as long turn process.

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Discussion with widows

Discussion with widows

Meetings were held to discuss with the basic problems such as houses, drinking water, sanitary facilities, education as well as income ways of women whose husbands were lost, disappeared and disabled because of the civil war in the country in 20/21 August 2012. 

 

We met the women headed groups in ten villages in Trincomalee district in which National Fisheries Solidarity Movement is working on different projects. 

So, we have planed to arrange one day mobile service convening  all responsible government authorities in the division  to find solutions for above issues. We educated the widows to participate organizing  the community as well for that. 

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Story of Selavarani

Story of Selavarani

Satyaseelan Selvarani is a widow living in the address of 6 mile post, Kappalthurei, China Bay Trincomalee. She is a mother of five. Selvarani is whiling away a poor life with the protection of her parents in the village. She has been living lonely since her husband was killed by unknown group on 1^st of September 2006. She has to face many difficulties living with children without breadwinner of the family.

In the mean time, the police and the army group had informed to her that there were some hidden weapons under the ground in her house so, they wanted to excavate the ground to get them out. Then, they had excavated the land in the house using an excavator on 10^th of July 2012. They had said that they had a court order to do that.

So, Selvarani had gone to the China Bay police to complain against that incident but the police did not accept the complain 20^th of August 2012. The police had advised to repair the house getting support from NGOs. Selvarani had tried to concern this incident to relevant Divisional Secretary but the Divisional Secretary also did not accept this incident at all.

Unfortunately, rests of furniture even doors and windows in the house had been stolen by some persons after the forces excavated the house.

Our problem is that although the forces got an action like this expressing about security reasons, why is not Selvarani given any compensation. Why is not complain accepted by authorities? What will be happen their future and security of life?

Who responsible for this?

(This story was said by Selvarani when NAFSO met her on 22^nd of August 2012 at Kappalthrei.)

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Muslim widows in Jaffna district

Expletory visit to displaced Muslim Widows

A program was organized to visit the existing situation of the internal displaced Muslim  widows who are living in temporally huts in Jaffna district on 18^th of July 2012.  They were provided dry ration in the mean time of this visiting. 

 

• Women were welcome and explained the objectives of the program by Sharmila

• Lavina Hasanthi who is the women coordinator of National Fisheries Solidarity Movement explained about the organization of NAFSO as well as the programs which conduct among women headed families in 6 districts in the North and the East.

Identified issues through the program

•  It had 3000 families and 2500 houses when the people left from the village in 1990

• There were only 213 houses while they returned back to the village. Other houses have been destroyed because of the war.

•  681 families have resettled   but there are 2110 families registered 

• Registration of  75 families have been canceled by the divisional secretary

• Rest of families has been living in Puttlam district. They do not wish to return to Jaffna because their properties including land and houses have been deprived. They are unable to live without basic facilities

• There are only 4 lavatories for 600 families.

• There are 60 widows in the area.

•  “Samurdi”   subsidy are provided for  20 widows only

•  Dry ration was provided to widows  one in each  for six months only after the war

• Most of widows were not given basic facilities like land and houses

•  The widows are living in the temporary huts yet. They are facing many difficulties specially when the rainy season.  Some live in the small cottages which were given by Muslim church.

• They want to more than 1000 rupees to spend at least a day so they should work hard to earn money.

• There are 10 families whose children are going to school yet.

• Some of widows have involved making sweet and labour work as their income ways.

• As their experience, there is a controversy between Tamil people and Muslim people and there is no confidence among them.

Future proposals-

1.       To organize a experience sharing program among two nations to change their protest

2.       To arrange a discussion with the divisional secretary on the issues people are facing handing over a letter

3.       To provide dry ration for widows

Visited villages-

•  Velangei
• Bassar Street
• New Muwar Street
•   Muwar Street

Participants for the program-

25 women in above villages

Lavina Hasanthi, women coordinator of NAFSO

Anthony Jesudasan, Coordinator of the North and East

N. Impamyayakam , Jaffna district coordinator

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