First meeting of the sub-committee on gender issues (SGI) held in Kilinochchi

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Country/entity: Sri Lanka
Region: Asia and Pacific
Agreement name: First meeting of the sub-committee on gender issues (SGI) held in Kilinochchi
Date: 6 Mar 2003
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Intrastate/intrastate conflict
Sri Lankan Civil War (1983 - 2009)
The roots of the Sri Lanka conflict lay in British colonial policy which controlled the island from 1802 until 1948. During the early 1800s, the British brought Tamils from mainland India to work on the various plantations for tea, coffee and rubber, changing Sri Lanka's the demographic make-up. Upon independence, Sinhalese nationalism dominated the political sphere and introduced discriminatory policies against the Tamil minority straining relations and sparking protests. Armed Tamil resistance first came in the form of assassinations of moderate Tamils and opposition politicians in the mid-1970s. However, it was the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam's (LTTE) attack on checkpoint Four Four Bravo, which marked the turning point, sparking pogroms against Tamils in Sinhalese majority areas. This incident, known as Black July, is widely considered to the beginning of the civil war.

The first round of peace talks were backed by India, which had deployed the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in 1987, and led to the 1987 Indo-Sri Lanka Accord. The Accord was successful in persuading the majority of insurgency groups to lay down arms. However, the strongest Tamil insurgency group, the LTTE, was not party to the talks and refused to disarm, sparking direct conflict between the IPKF and the LTTE until IPKF withdrawal 1990. Following the withdrawal, the LTTE consolidated their power in the North and East sparking another intense and bloody war with the central government that lasted until 2002 when another peace process was launched under the auspices of Norwegian negotiators. The second round of peace talks, however, only continued until April 2003 and in March 2004, a large faction of LTTE cadres split from the main organization damaging LTTE unity. The LTTE were defeated militarily by a large-scale government assault in 2009, however, the conditions for peace remain uncertain.
Stage: Pre-negotiation/process
Conflict nature: Government/territory
Peace process: Sri Lanka LTTE 2002 onward process
Parties: Government of Sri Lanka, represented by Dr. Kumari Jayawardena, Dr. Deepika Udagama, Dr. Fazeela M. Riyaz, Ms. Kumundi Samuel, Ms. Faizun Zackariya;

LTTE, represented by Ms. Thamilini Subramaniam, Ms. Kaaya Somasundram, Ms. Premila Somasyndram, Ms. Suthamathy Sanmugarajah, Ms. Yalisai Balasingham
Third parties: Norwegian Government facilitator, Dr. Astrid N. Heiberg
Description: The first meeting of the Sub-committee on Gender Issues (SGI) was held in Kilinochchi 5-6 March 2003. During the meeting in Oslo both parties expressed their willingness to set up this Committee in order to secure the active participation of women and the effective inclusion of gender issues in the peace process.

Agreement document: LK_030306_First meeting of the sub-committee on gender issues (SGI) held in Kilinochchi.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Main category: Page 1, Paragraph 1, ... During the meeting in Oslo both parties expressed their willingness to set up this Committee in order to secure the active participation of women and the effective inclusion of gender issues in the peace process.

Page 1, Paragraph 2-3, ... In their determination to include the gender perspective in the peace process they decided to focus their efforts on the following issues in the immediate and long term:
- Livelihood and employment

Paragraph 4, The SGI will report directly to the plenary session of the peace talks and work closely with the other Sub-committees and other mechanisms associated with the peace process. It will identify issues of concern to women that need to be addressed and bring those concerns into the agenda of the peace process.

Paragraph 6, the SGI support the SIHRN's [Sub-committee on Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Need in the North and East] project for traumatized women in Kilinochchi and strongly encourages SIHRN to set up similar centres in the east and in other districts affected by the conflict.

Paragraph 7, The SGI will formulate Gender Guidelines for the Sub-Committees and other mechanisms associated with the peace process.

Paragraph 10, The Committee members visited several projects concerning the welfare of women in the Kilinochchi area.

The Sub-committee on Gender Issues consists of the following five members from each of the parties: [see parties]

Women, girls and gender

Participation: No specific mention.
Equality: No specific mention.
Particular groups of women: No specific mention.
International law: No specific mention.
New institutions: New institutions→Institutions for women
Page 1, Para 12
The Sub-committee on Gender Issues consists of the following five members from each of the parties: Dr. Deepika Udagama; Dr. Fazeela M. Riyaz; Ms. Kumuduni Samuel; Ms. Faizun Zackariya; Ms. Thamilini Subramaniam; Ms. Kaaya Somasyndram; Ms. Premila Somasyndram; Ms. Suthamathy Sanmugarajah; Ms. Yalisai Balasingham.
New institutions→Infrastructure (general)
Page 1, Paragraph 7
The SGI will formulate Gender Guidelines for the Sub-Committees and other mechanisms associated with the peace process.
New institutions→Reconciliation and peace
Page 1, Paragraph 1
...
During the meeting in Oslo both parties expressed their willingness to set up this Committee in order to secure the active participation of women and the effective inclusion of gender issues in the peace process.

Page 1, Paragraph 4
The SGI will report directly to the plenary session of the peace talks and work closely with the other Sub-committees and other mechanisms associated with the peace process. It will identify issues of concern to women that need to be addressed and bring those concerns into the agenda of the peace process.
Violence against women: Violence against women→Protection (general)
Paragraph 6, the SGI support the SIHRN's [Sub-committee on Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Need in the North and East] project for traumatized women in Kilinochchi and strongly encourages SIHRN to set up similar centres in the east and in other districts affected by the conflict.
Transitional justice: No specific mention.
Institutional reform: No specific mention.
Development: Development→General
Page 1, Paragraph 2-3, ... In their determination to include the gender perspective in the peace process they decided to focus their efforts on the following issues in the immediate and long term:
- Livelihood and employment
Development→Health (general)
Paragraph 6, the SGI support the SIHRN's [Sub-committee on Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Need in the North and East] project for traumatized women in Kilinochchi and strongly encourages SIHRN to set up similar centres in the east and in other districts affected by the conflict
Implementation: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

FIRST MEETING OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE ON GEN DER ISSUES (SGI) HELD IN KILINOCHCHI 5-6 MARCH

PRESS RELEASE

06 March 2003

The first meeting of the Sub-Committee on Gender lssues (SGI) was held in Kilinochchi 5-6 March 2003.

The establishment of the SGI was agreed upon by the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam during the third session of negotiations in Oslo 2-5 December 2002.

During the meeting in Oslo both parties expressed their willingness to set up this Committee in order to secure the active participation of women and the effective inclusion of gender issues in the peace process.

The deliberations between the delegates were positive and constructive and included a wide range of issues of concern to women in this stage of the peace process.

The Committee members acknowledged the widespread and profound suffering of women as a consequence of war, especially in the most affected areas.

in their determination to include the gender perspective in the peace process they decided to focus their efforts on the following issues in the immediate and long term:

· Sustaining the peace process

· Resettlement

· Personal security and safety

· lnfrastructure and services

· Livelihood and employment

· Political represenatation and decision-making

· Reconciliation

The SGI will report directly to the plenary session of the peace talks and work closely with the other Sub-Committees and other mechanisms associated with the peace process.

it will identify issues of concern to women that need to be addressed and bring those concerns into the agenda of the peace process.

The SGI will immediately get involved with SIHRN in the process of Accelerated Resettlement Programme for the Jaffna District (ARP-J) and the Fast-track Resettlement Programme for the Mannar District (FTRP-M) and other ongoing resettlement programmes in the north and east.

The SGI supports SIHRN's project for traumatized women in Kilinochchi and strongly encourages SIHRN to set up similar centres in the east and in other districts affected by the conflict.

The SGI will formulate Gender Guidelines for the Sub-Committees and other mechanisms associated with the peace process.

The SGI decided to establish a Secretariat in Kilinochchi.

An office of the SGI shall be established in Colombo.

The two entities will co-operate closely in serving all members of the SGI in their work.

The SGI discussed fundamental elements of the Terms of Reference that will be presented to the plenary session of the peace talks in April 2003.

The Committee members visited several projects concerning the welfare of women in the Kilinochchi area.

The next meeting of the SGI will take place in Kilinochchi 4-5 April 2003.

Future meetings of the SGI will be organised in different areas.

The Sub-Committee on Gender lssues consists of the following five members from each of the parties.

GOSL:

Dr. Kumari Jayawardena

Dr. Deepika Udagama

Dr. Fazeela M. Riyaz

Ms. Kumuduni Samuel

Ms. Faizun Zackariya

LTTE:

Ms. Thamilini Subramaniam

Ms. Kaaya Somasyndram

Ms. Premila Somasyndram

Ms. Suthamathy Sanmugarajah

Ms. Yalisai Balasingham

The parties have requested Norway to appoint a resource person as a facilitator to the SGI.

The Norwegian government assigned Dr. Astrid N. Heiberg, a professor of psychiatry to the University of Oslo, and past president of the lnternational Red Cross Federation.