Rala Matha Andi Roo TV Programme
July 2005
A series of Sinhala and Tamil television programmes on the issues faced by Tsunami affected women were telecast on Channel Eye and TNL. Topics discussed included female participation on decision making, right to land, domestic violence and violence against women, livelihood, and conflict, peace and the tsunami.

Radio Talk Shows on Tsunami Affected Women
July 2005
WMC broadcast a series of radio talk shows on SLBC Sinhala channel. Issues pertaining to women affected by the Tsunami were discussed in these shows.

Livelihood Support
WMC provided livelihood support as part of the response to the tsunami. Livelihood disbursement began in September 2005 and finished in March 2007. WMC worked with local organizations to disburse the funds in the following districts: Batticaloa, Ampara, Trincomalee (North Eastern Province) Galle, Matara and Hambantota (Southern Province). The livelihoods program was conducted in response to requests from tsunami affected women. There was a focus on providing funds to women from marginalized groups, female headed households, single women and widows, and those from low-income communities. The livelihoods women engaged in included: traditional crafts, such as mat weaving and coir processing; traditional occupations, such as poultry keeping and drying fish; and other occupations such as sewing and making fishing nets. WMC staff conducted field visits to the women who received livelihood funds.

Community Consultation
A South Asian conference on Gender concerns in Post Tsunami Reconstruction was held on the 15th to 16th July 2005, and facilitated by the Women’s Coalition for Disaster Management, Batticaloa. 140 women and men attended this conference, and shared their experiences and gave input into strategies for advocacy and lobbying for women’s rights, and for recommendations for the reconstruction effort. WMC was involved in coordination of the conference and facilitating input from participants.

Networking and Advocacy
WMC, in collaboration with the Coalition for Assisting Tsunami Affected Women (CATAW), held two community consultations in Colombo. The first, held on 29th August, 2005, was the Tsunami Recovery and the Peace Process involved organizations affected by the tsunami and the conflict, and other organizations working on related issues. The second, Rebuilding Lives and Livelihoods: Women’s Experiences Two Years after the Tsunami was held on the 8th of January 2007. This consultation involved tsunami affected women, women’s organizations, and other stakeholders such as the Reconstruction and Development Agency (RADA). Through this consultation, WMC and CATAW assisted local organizations liaise with the other stakeholders.