ActionAid International Sri Lanka have launched a Street drama Campaign on rights of women, people living with HIV/AIDS and differently able people. During two weeks, the campaign will cover more than 40 villages and public places in the southern district of Hambantota raising awareness, providing legal support, and breaking myths and misconceptions on these issues among the community.

Supported by our local partners, this campaign seeks to raise awareness among the community strengthening and promoting women's rights, and promoting and respecting the rights of the people living with HIV/AIDS and differently able people. They have the same rights -affirms Kisholi Perera, ActionAid Women's Rights Team Leader-. We need to stop the stigma and discrimination, change social attitudes and help them to have a normal life like any other person.

A mobile caravan with sensitization materials as booklets, brochures and stickers in local languages, accompanies Dharana Street Drama collective in the campaign. After the performances, two resource people who travel with the caravan, facilitate discussions, identify new problems and provide information and advise on how to access some legal services, especially for violence affected women.

Many people experience these problems but are afraid to talk openly; they never look for any kind of support as they feel ashamed, affirms Dinesh Abeysundara, lawyer who accompanies ActionAid's campaign. This initiative tries to make them challenge this situation and change some of these attitudes

Though the times have changed a lot, many attitudes in our society still remain the same and many times women are still victims of violence, assures Sureka Nilmini, 38, from Siribopura, a new housing scheme for tsunami affected people in Hambantota.

For many people like K.W. Marinona, 52, from Welliwatte, this has been the first time she has seen an attempt to change peoples attitudes through a street drama campaign. It is a very good initiative because people can learn many things. Even children watching these dramas can see what is happening around them, understand some of these problems and to certain extent, prevent these behaviors in the future

The next phase of this campaign will cover the northeast taking the street drama group and the mobile caravan to those areas. Unfortunately, the security situation has created a barrier for us to conduct the campaign in those areas now, but as soon as the situation improves, we hope to go there, Kisholi Perera concludes.