Jaffna women group calls for end to violence

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 March 2008, 04:47 GMT]
More than 500 women attending a meeting organized by the Jaffna based Centre for Women and Development (CWD), held at the auditorium of Jaffna Public library Friday, expressed unified voice against the escalating violence in the peninsula in general, and the variety of problems faced by women in particular, and issued a media communiqué detailing a host of social issues unique to the female population in North. The meeting was chaired by Mrs.Saroja Sivachandran, coordinator of CWD.

“There should be an immediate end to the extra judicial killings, disappearances and abductions taking place under the pretext of preventing Terrorism," the group demanded in their communiqué.

Many of the participants addressing the gathering held to mark the International Women’s day highlighted the various types of harassments faced by them in their day-to-day life.

Copies of the memorandum forwarded to Sri Lanka's President and to the cabinet ministers associated with women’s’ rights, highlighted the following:

• On a global basis, the Women in Jaffna continue to face serious problems due to the continuation of war, and there should be an immediate end to the hostilities,
  
  
• Most men are forced to leave the war-torn peninsula, the women left behind face threats and human rights violations. Such a situation should be avoided and the security of women should be guaranteed,
  
  
• There should be an immediate end to the disappearances , abductions and extra judicial killings that are taking place under the pretext of prevention of terrorism,
  
  
• There should be legal investigation into the killings, abductions and disappearances and the culprits responsible for these should be brought before justice,
  
  
• The daily life of the civilians has been severely affected under the pretext of providing citizenry protection. This situation should end soon,
  
  
• We emphasize that the honour, self respect and humanitarian pride for the women should be maintained,
  
  
• Human rights violations against women, intimidations that cause depression, and women being searched at the check posts should be stopped,
  
  
• A favourable situation must develop so that the women are be able to move about freely not only in the North but throughout Sri Lanka,
  
  
• Arrangements should be made for women to purchase their daily needs easily at a reasonable price, and
  
  
• Continuing military activities must be halted and women groups should be consulted in any serious attempts made to achieve peace with honor.

Although women throughout the world undergo sufferings, the women in Jaffna suffer the most, the women delegates said.