In November 2020, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) produced a report on the situation of prisoners in Sri Lanka. This was a devastating report which revealed the stark dehumanisation that prevails within the prisons of Sri Lanka. The sleeping conditions are such that, every night, a large number has to sleep in a space that could accommodate only a few. Some have to take turns when others sleep and some have to sleep while standing. The ugliest forms of toilet and other sanitary conditions, the extremely poor quality of food and almost every aspect of life within prisons have been documented in this report which a group of experts have worked on over about two years, interviewing the Prisons Department authorities and almost everyone else concerned.
On the very first reading of the report, it was obvious that this report should reach as many persons as possible with the view to enable a societal discourse on this issue. However, the report was published in English only and was made available on a website. This meant that it will be read by only a very small number of persons. As a first reaction, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) helped in the translation of the most important parts of this report into the Sinhala language and also the Tamil language and it was made available to the public through a group of organisations which came together around the report with the view to support its recommendations.
However, on the very first reading of the report, one particular issue struck the AHRC as one of the most inhumane aspects of prison life in Sri Lanka. That was the issue of the unavailability of sanitary wear for female prisoners. There were about 600 female prisoners who were brought to one location due to the Covid-19 situation. It was felt that at least on a single issue such as this, immediate action was needed.
The AHRC immediately issued an open letter of concern, pointing to this issue in particular. As it was thought that getting action from the Government is going to be difficult and in any case will take place only after a certain lapse of time, that the appeal should be made to a philanthropic organisation outside was mooted. Thus, we made the appeal to the Archbishop of Colombo, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith and also distributed it among others who may be able to help.
To our surprise, within the very first week, the AHRC was informed through a partner organisation, the Centre for Society and Religion (CSR), that a group of nuns of a particular religious order had taken up the matter and had immediately intervened to help. As a gesture of help, they had discussed the matter with the relevant prison authority and provided the necessary means in order to purchase the first batch of the necessary materials immediately. Thereafter, we also received information through the same source that a number of Catholic religious orders in their annual meetings had taken up this issue and had agreed to work on finding a permanent solution to this problem.
On seeing the open letter issued by us, one of the female journalists also took up the issue in her column in a well-read publication and she also interviewed many persons and stated that this action in fact was praiseworthy because it not only provides an urgent need but also breaks a taboo in Sri Lanka to not talk about some issues in relation to women publicly.
The campaign drew the attention of other journalists, and one was a journalist from The Guardian in London, England. On 28 January 2021, The Guardian published an article written by Bill Milinda, entitled “‘They Use Old Cloths’: Sri Lanka to Give Schoolgirls Free Period Products”. When he was doing interviews with a school teacher, the teacher explained that this is not just a problem of female prisoners but also poor teenage schoolchildren who often do not come to school on particular days for the same reason. Thus, this article also brought into public discourse the issue not only of female prisoners but a larger issue regarding others. The matter also came to be discussed in Parliament where the Opposition Leader promised that if they come to power, they will provide not only female prisoners and children but also everyone else, the necessary sanitary wear, free of charge. A government minister also made a statement in Parliament promising to allocate funds for this problem.
(The writer is the Asian Human Rights Commission's Policy and Programmes Director)Our female prisoners' sanitary wear problem
02 Jul 2021
Our female prisoners' sanitary wear problem
02 Jul 2021
In November 2020, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) produced a report on the situation of prisoners in Sri Lanka. This was a devastating report which revealed the stark dehumanisation that prevails within the prisons of Sri Lanka. The sleeping conditions are such that, every night, a large number has to sleep in a space that could accommodate only a few. Some have to take turns when others sleep and some have to sleep while standing. The ugliest forms of toilet and other sanitary conditions, the extremely poor quality of food and almost every aspect of life within prisons have been documented in this report which a group of experts have worked on over about two years, interviewing the Prisons Department authorities and almost everyone else concerned.
On the very first reading of the report, it was obvious that this report should reach as many persons as possible with the view to enable a societal discourse on this issue. However, the report was published in English only and was made available on a website. This meant that it will be read by only a very small number of persons. As a first reaction, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) helped in the translation of the most important parts of this report into the Sinhala language and also the Tamil language and it was made available to the public through a group of organisations which came together around the report with the view to support its recommendations.
However, on the very first reading of the report, one particular issue struck the AHRC as one of the most inhumane aspects of prison life in Sri Lanka. That was the issue of the unavailability of sanitary wear for female prisoners. There were about 600 female prisoners who were brought to one location due to the Covid-19 situation. It was felt that at least on a single issue such as this, immediate action was needed.
The AHRC immediately issued an open letter of concern, pointing to this issue in particular. As it was thought that getting action from the Government is going to be difficult and in any case will take place only after a certain lapse of time, that the appeal should be made to a philanthropic organisation outside was mooted. Thus, we made the appeal to the Archbishop of Colombo, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith and also distributed it among others who may be able to help.
To our surprise, within the very first week, the AHRC was informed through a partner organisation, the Centre for Society and Religion (CSR), that a group of nuns of a particular religious order had taken up the matter and had immediately intervened to help. As a gesture of help, they had discussed the matter with the relevant prison authority and provided the necessary means in order to purchase the first batch of the necessary materials immediately. Thereafter, we also received information through the same source that a number of Catholic religious orders in their annual meetings had taken up this issue and had agreed to work on finding a permanent solution to this problem.
On seeing the open letter issued by us, one of the female journalists also took up the issue in her column in a well-read publication and she also interviewed many persons and stated that this action in fact was praiseworthy because it not only provides an urgent need but also breaks a taboo in Sri Lanka to not talk about some issues in relation to women publicly.
The campaign drew the attention of other journalists, and one was a journalist from The Guardian in London, England. On 28 January 2021, The Guardian published an article written by Bill Milinda, entitled “‘They Use Old Cloths’: Sri Lanka to Give Schoolgirls Free Period Products”. When he was doing interviews with a school teacher, the teacher explained that this is not just a problem of female prisoners but also poor teenage schoolchildren who often do not come to school on particular days for the same reason. Thus, this article also brought into public discourse the issue not only of female prisoners but a larger issue regarding others. The matter also came to be discussed in Parliament where the Opposition Leader promised that if they come to power, they will provide not only female prisoners and children but also everyone else, the necessary sanitary wear, free of charge. A government minister also made a statement in Parliament promising to allocate funds for this problem.
(The writer is the Asian Human Rights Commission's Policy and Programmes Director)Kapruka
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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!