ENOUGH Workshop - Katunayake
Over the past few months, Oxfam in Sri Lanka has been carrying out workshops focused on the topic of "Social norms that perpetuate Sexual and Gender-based Violence in Public Transport" in Sri Lanka.
Sessions were conducted in Kandy, Batticoloa, Killinochchi and Colombo; with the most recent held within the Katunayake Free Trade Zone. Locations were selected based on recorded data of harassment occuring in public transportation. Participants ranged from several age groups (18-30, 31-45, etc.) representing various socio-cultural demographics.
Our workshop in Katunayake saw the participation of over 20 individuals between the ages of 25-50 male and females. Many were employed within the Free Trade Zone; others were housewives and small-scale business owners. Every one had a story to tell, ranging from their own experiences of harassment or instances where they witness sexual/verbal harrassment while using public transport. The one-day session was not limited to discussions alone; the group was involved in generating their model of the 'ideal man/woman,' acting out topic-related scenarios as well as activities which helped break down various components which typically lead to acts of sexual harassment.
The findings from the series of workshops are to be incorporated into Oxfam's research into "Social norms that perpetuate Sexual and Gender-based Violence in Public Transport". The research is part of Oxfam's global ENOUGH campaign. This research was supported on the ground level by Chrysalis in Killinochchi, You Lead in Kandy, WUSC in Batticaloa and Stand Up Movement in Katunayake.