LAW Sri Lanka and C4Legal Host Webinars on Human Rights
Accountability & Rule of Law - Gender Equality & GBV - Sri Lanka - Advocacy - Legal Aid & Empowerment
In July and August 2021, LAW collaborated with C4Legal, a prestigious Sri Lankan law firm, to provide five educational webinars on human rights law. The multilingual series was aimed at informing Sri Lankan lawyers, students, CSOs and the general pubic of international and domestic law on fundamental human rights. Kate Norton, LAW’s Global Operations Director and an experienced international lawyer who has lived and worked in Sri Lanka, participated in the two English-language events.
A flyer for the first webinar
July 1 Webinar: Child Rights Violations – Protection and Prevention Mechanisms (Sinhala)
The first webinar, which was hosted in Sinhala, focused on the international and domestic framework on the rights of the child and on practical means of protecting and promoting those rights in Sri Lanka. The panel consisted of Dr. Prathiba Mahanamahewa, a Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Colombo, Preethika Sakalasooriya, Legal Director at the National Child Protection Authority, and Menaka Herath, Education and Special Programs Director at the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka. The discussion was moderated by Samanthie Jayamanna Paranagama.
The first part of the discussion covered on the definition of ‘child’ under Sri Lankan and international law, the prevalence of child abuse in Sri Lanka, and the role of the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA). The panelists then moved in to examining Sri Lanka’s obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the role of Sri Lankan institutions such as the NCPA and the Human Rights Commission in protecting those rights. The webinar closed with a discussion of the role of the media in protecting children and the duty of Sri Lankan citizens to protect and uphold the rights of children.
Link to video recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jgsu67Jxte0
July 15 Webinar: Gender and the Application of the Law (Sinhala)
The second webinar in the series, which was also a Sinhala-language event, focused on international law on the rights of women and LGBTQI+ people and on practical means of addressing gender-based violence. The panel consisted of Dr. Gayathri Chandima Wijesundara, a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Ruhunu, Sanjeewani Abeykoon, Law Enforcement Director at the National Child Protection Authority, and Rohana Hettiarachchi, Executive Director of the People’s Activity Organization for Free and Fair Elections. The event was moderated by Samanthie Jayamanna.
The event began with a discussion of the meaning of gender equality and the international and domestic legal framework related to gender. The panel then discussed the inadequate application of those laws in practice, both in Sri Lanka and internationally, and the role that social norms play in hindering the full implementation of the legal framework. The event ended with a discussion of the duty of the media to protect the rights of victims of gender-based violence and to promote gender equality.
Link to video recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngnN6MPmdkU
July 29 Webinar: Child Rights Violations – Protection and Prevention Mechanisms (Tamil)
The third webinar, which was a Tamil-language event, focused on the rights of the child under international and domestic law. The panel consisted of Faris Saly, a Ph.D student at the University of Malaya, Mino Punethanayagam, a former UNICEF Project Officer, and Jeganathan Thatparan, former president of the Council of NGOs in Sri Lanka. The webinar was moderated by Kalvalairajan Kapilan Villavarajan.
The panel first discussed the legal framework governing the rights of children, including the CRC and domestic law. The discussion moved on to the prevalence of child abuse in Sri Lanka and the vulnerable position of children in the context of COVID-related curfews. The event closed with a discussion of the obligations of civil society and the Sri Lankan state to protect and promote the rights of children.
Link to video recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgkQ_EGlDTo
August 12 Webinar: Child Rights Violations – Protection and Prevention Mechanisms (English)
The fourth webinar, which was provided in English, focused on the rights of children and on methods of ensuring that children’s rights are fulfilled in Sri Lanka. The panel consisted of Asitha G. Punchihewa, the CEO of Panacea Solutions, Roma Ranasinghe, former Senior Project Coordinator for Counter Trafficking Legal at the IOM, and Kate Norton of LAW. The event was moderated by Amani Pilapitiya.
The event began with a discussion of the evolution of the rights of the child in international law and of the central role of the CRC in securing children’s rights globally. The discussion then turned to the issues of child labour, child trafficking, and child abuse in Sri Lanka. As the event drew to a close, the participants agreed that, although Sri Lanka has a strong legal framework on the rights of children which is generally consistent with its international obligations, the relevant laws must be enforced more effectively to wholly fulfil the rights of children.
Link to video recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eflhjDg2dMw&t=6s
August 26 Webinar: Gender and the Application of the Law (English)
The final webinar, which was also in English, focused on international law on the rights of women and LGBTQI+ persons. The panel consisted of Dr. MTM Mahees, a Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Colombo, Himalee Kularathna, a visiting Lecturer in Law at the University of Colombo, and Kate Norton of LAW. The event was moderated by Amani Pilapitiya.
The discussion initially focused on the history of the concept of gender in international law and on the international agreements and institutions that govern the protection of gender equality. The discussion underlined the centrality of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in the international framework on gender and the role of the CEDAW Committee in protecting women’s rights. The panelists then addressed emerging norms on the rights of sexual and gender minorities and discussed the practical application of international legal protections in contemporary situations, including Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
Link to video recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1DzYaG2SeI