Change Makers Assembly focus on changing attitudes

P. Rajaratnam Nuwara Eliya group correspondent

The three-day Sri Lanka Change Makers Assembly was held in Nuwara Eliya attended by representatives from South Asian countries namely Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan and participants both young men and women representing eighteen districts within the country.

The Assembly was held at the Nuwara Eliya New Town Hall.

The Assembly focused on the changing attitudes and behaviour of over five million change makers. People who will be called upon to actively influence men and women within communities living in to be mobilised.

It was spelled out that each ‘Change maker’ will reach out to ten others to spread this message of violence against women was conceptable and equal relationships are violence free.

The Assembly’s motto was by the year 2011, the campaign plans to reach an influence approximately fifteen million ordinary men and women across the South Asian regions to oppose violence against women.

It would be recalled that the three-day assembly had to be curtailed to two days due to inclement weather conditions.

The campaign here included, positing of stories of personal changes, followed by programmes enumerating the Change Makers experiences, sessions on strategies for working with men to stop any form of violence against women debates etc.

The programme included a march to end violence against women held on the final day.

It was revealed by the survey of the Ministry of Child Development and Women Empowerment 2006, stating that 60 percent of women throughout the country are victimised by domestic violence. The prevention of domestic violence had come into operation on October 3, 2005.

A number of delegates from the participating countries expressed their experiences and opinions.

The Pakistan Change Makers campaigner a young and dynamic personality Dr. Noureen Abdulmahood told our correspondent that his country had collectively worked towards minimising all acts of violence against women and their visit to Sri Lanka afforded an opportunity to study various aspects in this field.

A number of Non Governmental Organisations together with the Sri Lankan Change Makers were in the forefront towards organising this two-day assembly.