News

Working with students, teachers, and parents of J/Navatkuli Maha Vidyalayam  has created a great impact which finally brings all the stakeholders of the project by creating a ‘CHILD PROTECTION CLUB” with the stakeholders as members: Director, Centre for Gender Equity and Equality, University of Jaffna, Grama Servaga of Navatkuli, Women Development officer, Child protection officer, lawyer of the area, the Police officer (Chavakachcheri) , Medical officer (MOH Chavakachcheri), Public Health Inspector, a representative from active citizens, school principal, the teacher in charge, student representative and  Old student of the school.

Formation of a child Protection club

Working with students, teachers and parents of J/Navatkuli Maha Vidyalayam  has created a great impact which finally bring all the stake holders of the project by creating a ‘CHILD PROTECTION CLUB” with the stake holders as members: Director, Centre for Gender Equity and Equality, University of Jaffna, Grama Servaga of Navatkuli, Women Development officer, Child protection officer, lawyer of the area, Police officer (Chavakachcheri) , Medical officer (MOH Chavakachcheri), Public Health Inspector, representative from active citizens, school principal, teacher in charge, student representative and  Old student of the school.

competitions on essay writing, poetry writing, and drawing were conducted among school children in 4 levels (Division 1,2,3&4) at the school and two competitions were conducted (poetry and poster) virtually among  the Na vatkuli Mahavidyalayam Students .

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Awareness Programmes to the Students and Teachers: J/Navatkuli Maha Vidyalayam

The awareness programmes of this project were conducted as participatory and based on adult learning principles at Navatkuli Mahavidyalayam. It included role plays, discussions, brainstorming, group work and energizers to encourage the participants (students, teachers and parents) to relax, express themselves freely, give honest feedback and foster a climate of unity and enjoyment through the workshops.

Awareness Programmes for the Library Staff 

CGEE organized two days awareness programmes to the Library staff on 9^th and 10^th of March at the library Auditorium from 8.30 AM to 1 PM. This awareness programme covered topics such as a type of violence and SGBV, Introducing GEE in campus and general life and GEE policies, Sexual health, and prevention of being a victim, Impacts of the SGBV and grievance mechanisms. Dr.K.Guruparan, Dr.K.Paheerathan, Ms.T.Thushani, and Ms.N.Uthayani contributed as resource persons.  sixty five  library staff participated in this programme.

Training session for the subcommittee members

CGEE conducted nine hours of virtual training sessions for subcommittee members of the CGEE from the 10^th of July to the 29^th of July 2021 from 7PM to 8PM.  Former CGEE members and the present external members participated as resource persons in this training sessions.

International women day -celebrated by the Center for Gender Equity and Equality in collaboration with District Secretariat- Kilinochchi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and Jaffna social Action Centre (JSAC).

International Women’s Day is a spell to replicate progress made, call for change, and reveal acts of bravery and determination by ordinary women, who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their, communities, villages, and countries. International Women’s Day is celebrated around the world each year on the 8th of March to recognize the economic, political, and social achievements of women and to empower all women. In this regard acknowledging the contributions of local women is essential to realize true equality and respect in our homes, our workplaces, and our villages.
The Centre for Gender Equity and Equality, University of Jaffna has a strong background with a solid policy framework to guide the university in integrating Gender Equity and Equality (GEE) and is dedicated to promoting harmony, collaboration, and mutual respect among opposite gender in the university in all the spheres. It was established under the directives of the University of Grants Commission (UGC) and the preview of the UGC Standing Committee on Gender Equity/Equality in Higher Education. CGEE of UOJ engages in safeguarding a favourable, working, and learning environment that exists for academic and non-academic staff, and the students at the University. It is dedicated to working for equity and equality through a variety of programmes at the University of Jaffna. CGEE has participated in many community-level gender-based programmes in the past years. This year CGEE initiated a concept to celebrate international women’s day 2022 in a village, where women are not recognized even though they have been contributing to the community.

This concept was submitted to UNHCR for funding, UNHCR accepted the concept note and agreed to fund via JSAC. Initially, it was initiated to celebrate the women’s day in a village ‘Ambal Nagar’, Karaichchi DS division, then due to the request of the Government Agent of the Kilinochchi district, it was made as a district celebration.
International women’s day was celebrated on the 8 th of March 2022 at the training Centre of District Secretariat Kilinochchi. Vice-chancellor, University of Jaffna Prof.S.Srisatkunarajah was the chief guest and Mrs R.Keetheeshwaran was the special guest of this event. Director, Members of the CGEE, University of Jaffna, Staff of the District Secretariat, Killinochchi, women development officers, Community Based organizations, JSAC representatives, UNHCR representatives, and the public participated in this event. The selected women who struggled, faced life challenges, succeeded, and contributed to the social and economic development of their village were appreciated and recognized via the ‘successful women award’ 2022.
Community-based organizations and Divisional Secretariat had identified 18 women and they were awarded as successful women. Prizes for the women contest winners who participated and won the first three places in Art, Poetry writing, Karam, Thachchy, the musical chair held on 4th of March, coordinated by JSAC and DS, Killinochhci were given on the same day. At the international women’s day celebration, there was an exhibition of products made by the women entrepreneurs of the Kilinochchi district. There was much positive feedback from the participants, award winners and the public. They have appreciated the collaborative event jointly hosted by the university, non-government organizations and government secretariat killinchhci. Around 150 people participated in this event they were catered with lunch and refreshments, and women staged cultural programmes on this celebration.

CGEE, the university of Jaffna acknowledges the funding partners and the implementation partners to reach its goal of community engagement as a platform for uplifting women’s lives via appreciation and the recognition of the successful hard work of women who have contributed to their respective villages. CGEE has planned to work continuously at the selected villages or GS divisions of the Kilinochchi District to implement gender mainstreaming activities such as 1. Women empowerment programmes for the refugee returnees 2. Business training for the women to uplift their livelihoods 3. School education programmes on SGBV: intervention for prevention 4. Motivational talks with adults to remove domestic violence.

For more Photos (click this link http://www.jfn.ac.lk/index.php/gallery/womens-day-celebrations/)

CGEE celebrated women’s day on the 8th of March 2022. As a follow-up to this event, CGEE has initiated a programme ‘networking the Donors and women in need’. In this programme CGEE team has linked the Donors and the women who need help to continue, start, empower their livelihoods, and fulfill their ambitions in fine Arts. CGEE team believes that supporting women in need is the social responsibility of the Centre as the unit of the social institution.

Empowering women is a key to recovering and escaping from Gender-based violence, because domestic violence as the form of SGBV, directly and indirectly, influences gender equity and equality in universities as well as communities. The event networking the Donors and women in need was celebrated on the 22^nd of September in the University board room. Vice chancer Prof.S.Srissartkunarajah chaired this event. The event started with the Vice chancellor’s remarks.  11 donors, their representatives, and 10 women in need, CGEE members, other invitees participated in this event. The working committee chairman of CGEE, Mrs. Sivagowri Rajashanthasn delivered the welcome address. The welcome song was sung by, the visually and physically disabled woman who won the best women’s award and is an inspiration for all successful women Ms. Vinothini sang the welcome song.  Donors handed over the donations to women through the Vice-chancellor. Appreciation certificates to the donators were issued.