May 26, 2023 Bridge Team
Over 250 lawyers across the country trained to protect and promote equality and non-discrimination of people of all sexual orientations, and gender identities and expressions.
A lack of awareness among legal practitioners about sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex related characteristics (SOGIESC) is one of the main reasons for challenges in access to justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer/questioning (LGBTIQ) individuals, said the participants at legal awareness workshops organised by the partners of the Building Resilience, Inclusion, Diversity, and Legal Gains for SOGIESC Equality (BRIDGE to Equality) project implemented in Sri Lanka with the support of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ). BRIDGE to Equality has held a total of six legal awareness workshops on “SOGIESC Equality in Sri Lanka”. These six three-day workshops have seen a total participation by 280 legal professionals, comprised of legal officers attached to the Legal Aid Commission, and private practitioners. The primary objective of the workshops was to equip legal professionals with knowledge on SOGIESC and the laws affecting LGBTIQ individuals and to identify the practical challenges that may arise in handling cases relating to them. The workshops were held in Colombo, Kandy, Galle and Jaffna and were facilitated by different experts. Workshops were conducted in Sinhala in Colombo, Kandy and Galle and in Tamil in Jaffna. The workshops in Colombo, Kandy and Galle were facilitated by gender consultant Thushara Manoj and Attorney Naushalya Rajapaksha. The workshop in Jaffna was facilitated by gender consultant Velusamy Weerasingham and the former Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, Attorney Ambika Satkunanathan.
The first day was dedicated to introduce the diversity of gender expressions and gender identities to the participants. Participants identified stereotypes and myths relating to LGBTIQ individuals. The facilitators noted how LGBTIQ people increasingly face discrimination at the hands of the State authorities and within the society at large, and how this experience may vary depending on how they physically represent themselves and on how they are perceived. The gender and sexuality session helped in responding to many preconceived biases and stereotypes that the participants held onto. Participants were also shown videos of a series of monologues that were staged by the Young Activists Collective (YAC) in collaboration with the BRIDGE to Equality for Human Rights Day, 2022.
On day two, the participants walked through the human rights protections available to LGBTIQ persons, both domestically and internationally, considering Sri Lanka’s international human rights law related obligations.
On day three, the participants engaged in discussions regarding the laws and policies that directly and indirectly affect LGBTIQ individuals in the country, including the Penal Code and the Vagrants Ordinance, which are both colonial remnants. The participants also took part in a mock trial, proceeding to put into practice the knowledge gained over the course of the workshop.
Speaking about the workshops, the Project Manager at BRIDGE to Equality, Roshan de Silva stated: “It is very encouraging to see legal professionals actively taking part in these workshops with a genuine interest in learning about SOGIESC and the ensuing issues. Legal professionals are key stakeholders in ensuring the rights of marginalised communities in Sri Lanka. Their engagement in the human rights related concerns of LGBTIQ communities across many spheres of life is paramount to the LGBTIQ rights movement in the country”.
(The writer is the National Legal Advisor of Sri Lanka for the ICJ.)