WIN Sri Lanka partners with Royal Norwegian Embassy to challenge gender bias

Women In Need (WIN Sri Lanka) is partnering with the Royal Norwegian Embassy for a month-long series of interactive content and other digital activities this March, to celebrate Women’s Day 2021. The aim of the project is to bring an end to archaic thinking patterns and to help address gender biases in an open dialogue, WIN Sri Lanka said in a press release. 

WIN's Women’s Day 2021 initiative will include two Instagram live sessions moderated by Hans Billimoria (Grassrooted Trust) and Natalie Soysa (Bendr), and a social media campaign that will directly question audiences about their hidden biases.

One Instagram live session will feature women who have fought for and supported gender justice and equality. A YouTube seminar planned for March 24, will feature a panel of experts and dialogue on how gender biases and stereotypes pose challenges for women accessing justice and services. 

WIN Sri Lanka is an organisation that supports women around the country in times of crisis. Since 1988, WIN Sri Lanka’s 33 years of operations have helped protect women from domestic, and all forms of gender-based violence, in the country. 

Through its operations island wide, WIN offers psychological counselling, legal support, a 24/7 caller helpline and the mobile app 2six4 -- which provides access to vital information and connects women and girls to service providers during crisis situations.  

WIN also runs four emergency shelters in Sri Lanka for women and girls victimised by abuse, in partnership with the Women and Child Affairs Ministry and WIN’s funders.

According to a press release issued by WIN recently, the widest issues contributing to gender-based violence and gender inequality are the prevailing gender biases and stereotypes that exist in society. These biases exist in all areas of our lives; within communities, in  workplaces, in homes and even within ourselves. 

In turn, these thinking patterns fuel the increasing rates of violence against women and girls in the country, because these stereotypes contribute to men seeing themselves as possessing gender power over females, it said. 

Even in the workplace environment, women are seen as the weaker sex. This in turn, has contributed to women holding fewer positions of leadership and power, in both the corporate and public sector, which explains the meagre number of women in political representation and the opposition to women’s positions of eminence in Sri Lanka, the press release said. 

Those interested are invited to engage with the month-long initiative running on all WIN social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. For more information, visit Instagram (@womeninneed_sl) and Facebook (womeninneedsl).