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Human rights defender’s story: Melani Gunathilaka, from Sri Lanka
‘We try to address issues of climate change and inequality only through answering symptoms of the disease. It's time that we address the root cause which is the global financial architecture.’
Melani Gunathilaka is a woman human rights defender and environmental activist from Sri Lanka. She told ISHR about how her experiences in the 2022 protest movement that culminated in the removal of Sri Lanka’s president led her to take action for human rights and she shared her hopes for her country’s future in the wake of its recent presidential elections.
Melani was also among the participants in the 2024 edition of the Women Human Rights Advocacy Week (16 – 21 September). Here is what she thought of this experience:
The Women Human Rights Advocacy Week, hosted by ISHR, Just Associates (JASS), Peace Brigades International (PBI), Forum Asia, Amnesty International, and the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition (WHRD-IC) gathered 11 accomplished women environmental defenders and Indigenous leaders from ten countries.