12 Feb, 2016
John Keells Foundation conducted its first external WAVE (Working Against Violence through Education) session in collaboration with Zonta Club III of Colombo and the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) on the 12th June 2015 at the BASL Auditorium for 112 lawyers and law students. The session was conducted by Mr. Hans Billimoria who expressed the vital need for legal practitioners to recognize their powerful role in establishing and implementing rules and regulations to protect those vulnerable to gender based violence. The session was customized to provide specific examples of gender based issues that may arise when working in the legal field. Six volunteers from the Group took part in forum theatre interventions to depict some of these issues. The session was well received and provided an open environment to discuss these issues further. During the question and answer section, the audience was eager to share their stories highlighting the prevalence of gender based violence in and outside the legal field. Many of the females in the audience revealed they had experienced some form of harassment due to their gender. The flaws of the current legal system were also discussed including the need to enforce existing laws and enact new laws. The audience’s responses were promising indicating the need for continued awareness and discussion.