Key insights

• 🌍 🌍 Chamathya and Suneeta's journeys as youth activists highlight struggles with gender awareness and the importance of social movements aimed at combating gender-based violence.
• 🌍 🌍 Extensive outreach in India focuses on empowering women from diverse backgrounds, promoting inclusivity in policy-making and ensuring their voices are represented.
• 🌍 🌍 Mentorship and intergenerational learning are crucial in combating gender-based violence, emphasizing the need for a feminist perspective that recognizes intersectionality.
• 🚺 🚺 Addressing gender-based violence involves promoting economic independence for women and ensuring representation of diverse voices in the anti-GBV movement.
• 💪✨ 💪✨ Meaningful youth leadership requires genuine participation, deep understanding of intersectionality, and a recognition of diverse experiences, particularly highlighted by the #metoo movement.
• 🤝 🤝 The failures of legal systems to protect marginalized women necessitate speaking out and creating inclusive platforms for diverse voices to foster gender justice.
• 🌍 🌍 Emphasizing grassroots engagement and collective action is essential for transforming society and making the voices of women from all backgrounds heard.
• 🚺 🚺 The focus on economic and social rights for women, especially in conflict zones, is vital for building stronger, more equitable communities.

Q&A

• What can communities do to support gender justice? 🌈

  Communities can empower young families and marginalized groups by fostering intergenerational collaboration and participation in the fight for gender justice. Building peaceful dialogues and promoting diversity are vital for advancing social progress and improving conditions for all women.

• What are the failures of legal systems regarding women's rights? ⚖️

  Legal systems often fail to protect the rights of marginalized women, leading to a need for survivors to speak out against violence and discrimination. The activists call for inclusive platforms that amplify diverse voices, particularly in light of challenges worsened by the COVID pandemic.

• How does the #MeToo movement relate to their discussion? ✊

  The #MeToo movement highlights the importance of solidarity among individuals sharing experiences of harassment. Chamathya and Suneeta stress that meaningful engagement and understanding of intersectionality are vital in addressing systems of oppression affecting all women.

• What does intersectionality mean in the context of their activism? 🔗

  Intersectionality involves understanding how different social identities, such as class and caste, intersect and influence experiences of discrimination and violence. It is essential for addressing the unique challenges faced by marginalized individuals within the anti-GBV movement.

• What systemic issues contribute to gender-based violence? 🚫

  Gender-based violence is influenced by power dynamics and exists across various social structures and institutions. It is crucial to recognize and challenge these systemic issues, as well as the normalization of violence, to empower individuals to speak out.

• How is mentorship important in activism? 🙌

  Mentorship is vital as it empowers young women, enabling them to learn from past experiences. It provides a platform for storytelling and knowledge sharing, which helps address gender-based violence through intergenerational learning and support.

• What are the challenges faced by women in different backgrounds? 🌍

  Women across diverse backgrounds—including tribal, rural, indigenous, and urban—face unique challenges in claiming their rights, particularly in conflict zones. The focus is on addressing economic and social rights to empower these communities effectively.

• What is the significance of grassroots engagement in their work? 🤝

  Chamathya and Suneeta emphasize grassroots engagement as a crucial way to ensure the voices of diverse women are heard. They advocate for collective action and grassroots leadership, which are essential for transforming societal views and policy-making processes.

• How has Suneeta contributed to activism? 🌸

  Despite facing family expectations, Suneeta pursued her passion for activism, focusing on women's rights. Her experiences working with community-based organizations and at the UN enriched her understanding and commitment to creating change.

• What inspired Chamathya's activism? 🌼

  Chamathya's activism was sparked by her experiences in girl guiding, where she recognized the lack of gender education in her mixed background. This led her to participate in social issues, including the Stop the Violence Campaign, to advocate for women’s rights.

• Who are Chamathya and Suneeta? 🌟

  Chamathya and Suneeta are youth activists from Sri Lanka and India, respectively. They share their personal journeys and struggles as they engage in social movements centered on gender awareness and women's rights, addressing issues such as gender-based violence.

• 00:15 Chamathya and Suneeta share their journeys as youth activists from Sri Lanka and India, highlighting their struggles with gender awareness and comprehensive education, and their engagement with social movements, particularly around gender-based violence and women's rights. 🌍
• 06:33 This segment discusses the extensive efforts to empower women across various backgrounds in India through outreach, creating spaces for their voices, and promoting inclusivity in policy-making. It emphasizes grassroots leadership and the need for collective action in transforming society. 🌍
• 12:46 The discussion emphasizes the importance of mentorship and intergenerational learning in addressing gender-based violence, highlighting the need for a feminist perspective that considers intersectionality and the structural nature of violence in society. 🌍
• 19:09 Addressing gender-based violence requires breaking societal divisions, promoting economic independence for women, and ensuring representation of diverse voices in the anti-GBV movement. 🚺
• 25:49 The discussion emphasizes the importance of meaningful engagement and true intersectionality in addressing systems of oppression, particularly in youth leadership and gender-based violence, highlighted by the #metoo movement which calls for solidarity and recognition of diverse experiences of harassment. 💪✨
• 33:09 The discussion emphasizes the failures of legal systems to protect marginalized women's rights, the importance of speaking out against violence and discrimination, and the need for inclusive platforms for all voices, particularly during the COVID pandemic. It calls for continued intergenerational collaboration in the fight for gender justice and encourages meaningful engagement from young families and communities. 🤝