UNITED NATIONS, New York, 26 November 2018—Ninety per cent of women in Sri Lanka have faced sexual harassment on public transport, according to a recent study commissioned by UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency.
To shed more light on this problem, UNFPA has joined forces with photojournalism series Cheer Up Luv, created by photographer Eliza Hatch, to launch a campaign against sexual harassment on Sri Lanka’s mass transit. The campaign, “Don’t Look Away,” will run through the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.
Starting on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, through 10 December, Human Rights Day, UNFPA and Cheer Up Luv will reveal a new story every day on their respective digital and social media platforms, including a new interactive website, which is available at: unfpa.org/16Days.
Through film and photography, each story features the firsthand accounts of women affected by sexual harassment on public buses and trains in Sri Lanka. As part of this campaign, UNFPA and Cheer Up Luv have also produced a short film, titled “Come Home Safely,” that artistically pieces together the 16 stories of the same Sri Lankan women into one powerful message.
“We see the possibility of a world where every woman and girl can live free from sexual abuse and violence,” said Dr. Natalia Kanem, UNFPA Executive Director. “We are working with our partners to bring a decisive end to violence against women and girls.”
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About UNFPA
UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. UNFPA reaches millions of women and young people in 155 countries and territories.
About Cheer Up Luv
Cheer Up Luv is a photojournalism series dedicated to combating the normalization of sexual harassment. The aim of the project is to empower women who don’t have a public voice, and to create a community where women can find solidarity, whilst raising awareness for sexual harassment.
For more information, please contact: Omar Gharzeddine, +1 212 297 5028; gharzeddine@unfpa.org.