One Billion Rising 2026 - Sri Lanka

 

One Billion Rising 2026 - Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka have been rising since 2013, with many women’s groups and activists joining time to time with Samathai feminists Collective and Third Eye Local Knowledge, Skills and Activists Group. There are groups of women’s rights activists from the grass roots have been joining the rising year by year, this year there were 19 groups/organisations/networks joined us. There were more smaller groups and individuals joined us too.

This year, the 13^th OBR was organized with many pre-risings in different parts of the country, 3 events on the 14^th of February with the main rising organized in Batticaloa district.

1. The Main Rising, “RISE FOR OUR BODIES, OUR EARTH, OUR FUTURE”, Batticaloa, Eastern Province.
2. Visual Art exhibition of Artists for a non-Violent, Batticaloa, Eastern Province.
3. LIFE Rising for ‘Her Land-Her Rights’, Hatton, Central Province

 

Risings on the 14^th February 2026

 

1. RISE FOR OUR BODIES, OUR EARTH, OUR FUTURE, The Main Rising, Batticaloa, Eastern Province.

The collective gathering was organized at the open space of a popular lagoon-side in Batticaloa in the evening. More than 700 women, men and children including members of 20 women’s groups from 10 districts, youth club members, artists and the villagers participated in the rising.

Six activity booths were established to engage the risers in discourses on the themes below;

1.  Dismantling the Towers of power.
2. Endorsing love
3. Education for rational thinking
4. Men for gender equality
5. In solidarity with the women of hill country
6. Display of posters created by young artists against VAW, patriarchy and capitalism.

Dismantling the Tower of Power:

The participants were engaged in an awareness creation session on how imperialism, capitalism and patriarchal systems are controlling, exploiting and violating women, all human beings and the nature.  

Endorsing love

 

The participants were asked to sign on a rubber stamp with a Hibiscus symbol and ‘love’ in their language. The shoe-flower was symbolized for love during the OBR2025. Some 300 endorsements were collected during the Rising.

 

 

 

Display of posters

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The posters that were created for OBR launch in November 2025 and survived the floods were displayed at the venue. young artists have created these works on  VAW, patriarchy and capitalism.

In solidarity with the women of hill country

 

 

The Avvai Childrens’ Group from Nuwara Eliya have depicted their plight as partially bonded workers for the past 200 years the devastations by the Cyclone and landslide with a 3D model made by them.

 

 

 

 

The participants have signed a statement to extend solidarity with the women workers of tea plantation

 

 

Cultural activities

The Risers from different district have brought performances on the theme and the evening was filled with songs, theater, drums and dance.

The Rising ended with drumming and dancing; the drummers changed the beats to the traditional dance of women (Kummi) and request the participants to join the circle. Then ‘Break the Chain’ was played and everyone joined with so much of energy and happiness.

 2.     Visual Art exhibition of Artists for a non-Violent LIFE

 

An exhibition of Artists for non-violent living was inaugurated in the morning of the 14^th and continued for 3 days until the 16^th.

The exhibition showcased artworks in multiple mediums and themes from 11 artists (5 women and 6 men) including an artist from indigenous community. The themes were on violence against women, critique on cinema violence, economic exploitation of fishing women, hierarchies within religious, exploitation of natural resources and by companies and the exploitation of resources of indigenous communities.

 

  

 Hundreds of people from different parts of the country, few from overseas and from the district have viewed the exhibition and engaged In discussions with the artists.

 

 

 

 

 

A Muslim Artist from Puttalam district did a performing art on the economic exploitation of women from her community who catches and sell Crabs

 

 

 

 

  

The paintings and installation of a male artist from an indigenous community of Sri Lanka (Veddhas) depicted, how their indigenous knowledge and food systems have been lost due to the market economy and modernization.

 

 

 

 

 

 3.     Rising for ‘Her Land-Her Rights

A rising was organized by Social Welfare Mantram in Hatton to claim the land and housing rights of the women of tea plantation.

Most of the tea plantation workers are landless, have been living in small shed like’ line-houses’ that are provided by the tea companies for nearly 2 centuries. The disaster in December 2025 forced them to survive in conditions worse than before. Many of them are still in temporary shelters, while others have moved back to their dilapidated lands/houses.

Women from 15 such locations have gathered to rise for their rights as part of their continuing protests.

 

Risings by women’s organization in different locations

 4.     Stand up Movement Lanka, Kattunayake, Western Province, “Rise for our bodies, our earth, our future”, 15.02.2026

Standup Movement Lanka joined with the brothers and sisters from the Free Trade Zones and LGBTQI communities risen for “Our Bodies, Our Earth, Our Future,” emphasizing the interconnected struggles for bodily autonomy, environmental justice, and labour rights.

5. Bandarawella, Uva Province, Let Us Rise for ourselves and our Nature, 14.02.2026,

An art session conducted for the children in a children’s home that was affected by the cyclone.

6.  Affected Women’s Forum, Akkaraipatru, Eastern Province, 10.02.2026 

Women from Akkaraipatru have gathered and celebrated the rising with poetry readings, songs and dance with the them, “Violence attempts to controls our bodies,  but dance make us feel free and happy

7. Mullaitivu, Northern province, ‘Let us Celebrate the power of women’, 09.02.2026

The members of Aalumai Women’s Network, Nisha centre and Yugashakthi, Mullaitivu, Northern province have come together, had discussion on OBR theme and made a banner to be sent to Batticaloa. 

8. Then Aruvi Womens Centre, Akkaraipatru,. Eastern Province, 06.02.2026

A discussion was conducted with the women of Theevukkalai village on Celebrate the power of Women

9. Aatral Fine Arts College, Mannar, Northern Province, 04.02.2026  

An art activity was conducted with children on “living with love and compassion and end the usage of plastics to protecting the earth”

 10.  Mannar Women’s development Forum, Northern province, 30.01.2025 

A discussion organized for the  women in politics and women’s rights activists on the theme “Its not a single voice of a woman, it’s the voice of One Billion Women”.

 11.  E-WINGS Centre for women and Children, Eastern Province, 31.12.2025

A Kite Festival and introducing the theme of OBR was organized as Pre- OBR Activity at the beach of Trincomalee town. Women’s Societies of the division have joined in the program.

  

OBR Preparatory Discussions  

Conceptual discussions

Workshops and Discussions on Patriarchy, Authoritarianism and Capitalism conducted by Samathai Feminists Collective, third Eye Friends and Artists for non-Violent LIFE with various groups.

1. Batticaloa: A 3 days residential workshop (4^th to 6^th of October 2025) and 5 one day workshops (05^th Nov 2025, 10^th & 11^th Jan 2026 and 01^st & 8^th of February 2026) were conducted for the young artists, theatre activists and University students.

Under the broad theme, ‘Arts for Social Change’, the discussions focused on historical and modern construction of patriarchal systems, hierarchies, capitalism, and authoritarianism. The participants were encouraged to find ways to dismantle power from their own selves and through arts.

·       6 new artists have joined the exhibition of artists for non- violent living

·        An all-women theatre group (Virali) was founded

·       New volunteers joined the organizing team of main rising

2. Nuwara Eliya:

 

 A one day discussion and theatre workshop on ‘Freeing ourselves from authoritarianism, capitalism and all kind of powers’, was conducted for the members (youth and children) of ‘Avvai Children’s Group’, Kanthapola. The theme of was OBR discussed based on their own experiences of being as laborers for decades in the tea plantations.

Plans for OBR also was made.

3.     Puttalam: Few online discussions were conducted by Nirani – Women Artist Group in November to the young artists of Puttalam on OBR theme. The participants have created posters on the themes. 

4. Batticaloa: Discussions were conducted to introduce OBR and to invite the members of (a) Rural Women Development Society, Thirupperunthurai (20.01.2026), (b) Palameenmadu (31.01.2026), (c) Women’s Coalition for Disaster Management (05.02.2026) and (d) the Sports Club,  Palameenmadu (14.02.2026) Batticaloa.

 

OBR Launches

1. Annual New Year Walk to Launch OBR with the theme “Wishes for a Year Sans Violence” was conducted by the Samathai and Thir Eye Actvists along with their friends and children.  

 

Flowers issued by children to the public on streets with greetings.

2.     South Asian Women’s Day, Nov 2025 - Poster and Art Exhibition:

An exhibition with the works of young artists who have participated in the OBR workshops and discussions was arranged to be launched during the 16 days campaign, 29^th and 30^th of November 2025 in Puttalam.

The Exhibition got cancelled due to the cyclone and flood, the main artist who have organized the exhibition have lost her house and many of her artworks.

Instead of the exhibition, a BlogSpot was created and launched on the day.

 

Challenges and the strengths we had to overcome.

a)     Climate Change: Sri Lanka have encountered a very sever cyclone, flood and landslides from the end of November 2025 to February 2026 and unexpected climate situations.

·       We had to change the floor plan in the open space for the main OBR since we had unseasonal heavy rain until 30 minutes prior to the Rising. But the women from all over the country arrived within the showers and we were determined to do the event erected the tents closely and started the event. Rain also stopped.

·       We had to cancel the OBR launch - exhibition planned in Puttalam district due to the flood and damaged roads. The artworks of few artists from the district have damaged along with their other belongings. The area is still recovering.

·       The heavy rain and flood have affected the plans made for pre-OBR events in many places. The Annual New Year Walk have postponed to the evening due to the heavy rain in the morning.

·       The OBR planned in the hill country after the workshop to the Avvai Youth Group has to be cancelled due to the land slides. The members of the group and their families have to move to a common space as their already dilapidated houses became threat with land and paths have collapsed. They lost a whole family in the landslide.

o   Avvai Children’s group could organize themselves from the displaced locations, prepared to present and share their situation with the Risers and participate in the main rising.

Costs for coming together:

All the Risers, the organizers and participating women’s organizations/groups are rural and functions with minimum resources. The members of these groups are also coming from poor/lower middle class backgrounds and do not have savings.

To Rise locally in their respective districts and to rise together in the Main OBR, all of them have no funds. The amount shared by the global coordinator is very minimum to mobilize and cover the costs for travel and food.

Many of the groups and the members shown enthusiasm conducted mini risings in their respective areas, and participated in the main rising. They supported themselves, collected money from their own earnings and savings and travelled.

 

Summary:

·   More than 10 discussions, 2 workshops and several practices happened to prepare and mobilize for OBR

·       Two OBR launches planned

·       11 OBR events in 5 provinces including the main OBR event happened.

·       An all-women theatre group formed

·       New members have joined the artists groups and the drummers group for Justice including children.

·       2 women’s networks from North and East have newly joined the Risings – around 200 women participated form these networks in the main rising.

·       A statement was made for the women from Tea Plantations

·       2 blog spots created

o   A web exhibition was launched on the South Asian Women’s day. https://niraniartists.blogspot.com/

o   A Blogspot has been created to upload the Risings in Sri Lanka https://obrsrilanka.blogspot.com/

 

Annexure 1:

Media coverage about OBR 2026

-        English Media

o   Daily Mirror,12^th March 2026:  https://www.dailymirror.lk/news-features/Rise-Drum-Dance-Marking-14-years-of-One-Billion-Rising-in-Sri-Lanka/131-333544

-        A FaceBook Link of the exhibition of  Artists for Non-Violent LIFE: https://web.facebook.com/reel/1284856813506442

 

-        Tamil Newspapers – online and printed media reported about OBR

o   Global Tamil News: https://globaltamilnews.net/2026/228194/

o   TamilNews FB Post: Tamil News - பெண்களுக்கெதிரான வன்முறைகளற்ற வாழ்தலை... | Facebook

o   DAN TV: Interview with the local coordinator and the coverage about the art exhibition:

o   Blue Mountain Entertainement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaPTzBSOopM

o   NetraTV: https://web.facebook.com/100001501639797/videos/pcb.26178076061825758/1188080826730180

 

 Annexure 2

The groups that have joined OBR

1	Samathai Feminists Collective	Batticaloa	Batticaloa district
2	Third Eye Local Knowledge and Activists Group	Batticaloa	Batticaloa district
3	Artists for Non-Violent LIFE		From different districts
4	Suriya Women’s Development Centre	Batticaloa	Batticaloa district
5	Palameenmadu, Rural women’s Development Society	Batticaloa	Batticaloa district
6	Affected Women’s Forum	Akkaraipatru	Ampara District
7	Thean Aruvi Women’s Centre	Akkaraipatru	Ampara District
8	Ampara Distrcit Women’s Network	Akkaraipatru	Ampara District
9	E-Wings	Trincomalee	Trincomalee Distrcit
10	Savistri women’s Network	Anurathapura	Anurathapura District
11	Muslim Women’s Development federations	Puttalam	Puttalam District
12	Stand-up Movement	Kattunayake	Gampaha District
13	Social Welfare Mantram	Hatton	Nuwara Eliya District
14	Avvai Children’s Group	Nuwara Eliya	Nuwara Eliya District
15	Aalumai Women’s Team + Nisha Development Center + Yuhasakthi Women’s  Federation,	Mullaitivu	Mullaitivu District
15	Northern Province Women’s Network	North (Jaffna, Mullaitivu, Kilinochci, Vavunia, Mannar	5 districts
17	Vallamai movement for Social Change	Jaffna	Jaffna District
18	Mannar Women’s Development Federation	Mannar	Mannar District
19	Aatral Fine Art College	Mannar	Mannar District