Women and girls working on tea plantations in Sri Lanka are confronted with a multitude of challenges, ranging from unfair wages to limited access to education and health services. Poor access to justice further fuels exploitation and gender-based violence.
Last week, we were privileged to welcome Lucille Abeykoon of the Human Rights Center in Kandy, where she works closely with Franciscan sisters to promote the human rights of tea plantation workers. In Geneva, she raised these and other issues with the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
One of the emblematic cases Lucille brought up at the United Nations is that of a young woman, who was attacked and raped in 2001 while on her way home from Sunday school. When she reported her case, she was unable to do so in her native Tamil language, leading to a faulty complaint that favored the men who attacked her. What followed were prolonged court proceedings and delays. Two decades later, she is still waiting for a final judgment.
“Can you imagine going to court for 23 years? Yet she is still committed,” says Lucille, who is part of the team supporting the victim. “She says ‘I need justice. I know have not made any mistakes, and this was not my fault’.”
During Sri Lanka’s examination by CEDAW, FI made several recommendations to address the specific challenges facing women working and living on tea plantations. These include ensuring an increased daily minimum wage, improving access to education, and strengthening the capacity of law enforcement officers. You can find our full submission and recommendations to the CEDAW here.