ROLE OF RURAL WOMEN IN PEACE BUILDING: WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO VILLAGE PESALAI, MANNAR, SRI LANKA

Abstract

In Sri Lanka, multiple communities such as Sinhalese, Tamils, Burgers, Moors, Malays, Chinese, and the indigenous Vedda people with various religious faith and belief systems like Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity which has multiple sects such as Roman Catholic, Methodist, CSI, American Mission, Anglican, CPM, and etc., coexist in a hegemonic entanglement under the Sinhala Buddhist ideology which has been privileged and protected by the written constitution of Sri Lanka besides the caste system that exists in Sinhala and Tamil societies in varying degrees. Today's society is plagued by fanaticism, fundamentalism, sectarianism, violence, discrimination, economic inequality, etc., where peace building is a long-term process that involves gender equality as a pivotal pillar. This paper discusses that women's role in peace building established in primary socialization institutions is found to be strong when compared to secondary socialization institutions can be reasoned out to the multiple challenges faced by them. This paper is based on qualitative research constituting observation, interview, and direct discussions to collect data from 50 women representing different strata who were randomly selected from village Pesalai in Mannar. In order to understand the role of rural women in peace building, it is necessary to identify women's perspectives, activities, and challenges. Cultural superiority, casteism, and religious orientations among rural women also greatly impact rural women's peace building. Economic crises and political threats are challenges for women to engage in peace building process. The study's limitations were found to be the absence of Sinhalese rural women in the study area, cultural barriers in approaching Muslim women, women not coming forward, and lack of fuel. Rural women's role in peace building can be enhanced through economic development, social capital, and pluralistic thinking.