Gender based violence in the recent military offensive in the North of the country remains undocumented. The numbers of internally displaced people has swelled to close on 200,000 housed in temporary shelters and welfare centres. Anecdotal information gathered by civil society organizations point to issues arising from injuries, separation from families and hardship caused insufficient food, medical care and shelter in the trapped areas and the welfare camps. A recent note issued by the United Nations Resident Co-ordinator’s Office in Sri Lanka identifies GBV resulting from militarization and the threat of violence where women in welfare centres reported incidents of verbal harassment by military personnel and vulnerability to threats of violence caused by unsecured locations of location of toilets and bathing wells, and the lack of adequate lighting. The note further identifies vulnerabilities faced by the high number of female headed households, and women separated from families. Handout 3: GBV in politics and public life The section on ‘Women in Power and Decision Making’ in the Sri Lanka National Plan of Action on Women recognizes that there are no constraints to women in Sri Lanka reaching the height of political power as President or Prime Minister. However it notes and promotes remedying of the fact that women’s representation in legislative bodies and in politics and in decision-making positions in the public and private sector is very low. The reasons for low participation are complex and a commonly identified reason which is said to prevent women from seeking political participation in the level of violence associated with politics. Incidents in the past five years of harassment of women candidates are testimony to this commonly expressed view. Yet a recent project carried out by a women’s NGO1 brings views from the field to the contrary. The project which reaches women political aspirants states that “At the field there is no fear of violence, allegations of corruption and tarnishing of good character among women who are expecting to receive nominations and contesting elections in 2010”. The project which works with community based organizations that prepare women to contest in the political process, further elaborates that “unlike for male contestant, organizational strength is vital to meet the challenges of violence, threats, intimidation and unfair allegations that are part and parcel of the political process at local level” and concludes with a telling comment “these women are brave and fearless. They will accept the challenge and context in the 2010 local authority elections.” This experience, albeit small in comparison with the size of the electorates in Sri Lanka, brings in two views; one that violence is part and parcel of the electoral process, but two, that women are no longer intimated by gender based violence in their aspirations to enter politics. 1 Women and Media Collective project “Strengthening Governance and Increasing Women’s Representation in Local Government”. 2008 89