John Keells Foundation conducted a two-week public campaign against gender-based violence under
its Project WAVE (Working Against Violence through Education). This year’s campaign sustained
last year’s theme of ‘Break the Silence’ with a special focus on Domestic Violence in the context of
reported surge in complaints received on hotlines during the pandemic. The overall objective of the
public campaign was to empower both victims and bystanders to break the silence on violence,
increase awareness, promote advocacy, and create a platform for discussing challenges and solutions
on combatting gender based violence (GBV).
In a staff memo issued to mark the international day for the Elimination of Violence against Women,
Mr. Krishan Balendra, Chairman/CEO of the John Keells Group noted that “Since the outbreak of
COVID-19, emerging data has shown that all types of violence against women and girls, particularly
domestic violence, have intensified. However, there is also evidence that ending violence against
women and girls is possible, with a comprehensive approach that tackles the root causes, transforms
harmful social norms, provides services for survivors, and ends impunity. Ending GBV requires the
continued and coordinated effort and steadfast commitment of everyone” and urged that “all of us,
as responsible citizens, make it our personal and collective responsibility to build a workplace and
society free of all forms of discrimination and violence.”
In view of COVID-19 related restrictions, this year’s public campaign was conducted via social media,
television, and a partnership with Keells Supermarkets. A panel discussion to mark the international
day was aired on 24th November in collaboration with MTV with the participation of Manel
Jayamanna, Executive Director of the National Committee on Women, DIG Renuka Jayasundara,
Director of the Police Research and Development Division, Niroshika Wegiriya, Attorney–at–Law
and Project Coordinator of Women in Need and Carmeline Jayasuriya, Head of Operations, John
Keells Foundation. The panelists addressed a wide range of issues which included government and
legal interventions, impacts, repercussions, and remedies and the importance of multi stakeholder
participation in preventing and mitigating GBV. The social media campaign which was conducted
from 22nd to 29th of November highlighted helplines, messages by stakeholders working in the field of
GBV and real-life incidents faced by survivors of Domestic Violence. The social media campaign
reached a total of 91,582 persons and created 186,874 impressions. Keells supermarkets collaborated
with John Keells Foundation by publicizing support information for domestic violence victims on
customer receipts issued by outlets island wide.
Project WAVE since its launch in 2014 has rolled out awareness programs for the employees of the
John Keells Group and other stakeholders including training of selected staff as facilitators,
sensitization programs for target groups (police officers, lawyers, school children, university students
and community members) and public campaigns targeting commuters of public transport as well as
awareness creation through electronic and social media, impacting an estimated 1.9 million persons to
date.