Women and conflict a case study of Sri Lanka

Images of war and discourses around armed conflict and militarisation are subject to continuous reconstruction and representations based on past and present events (Palmary 2003). Discourses therefore, do not describe the world neutrally but rather classify it, revealing some aspects of social reality while concealing others (Parker 1992). This is true when exploring women’s lived experience in conflict and times of militarised nationalism. Women are constantly represented as victims or perpetrators, little recognising that women play multiple roles, depending on their situations, positionality and intersecting identities. [Continues.

Harmful social and cultural practices that exist within South Asian communities in the UK and their impact on women

Since 1947 there has been an influx of South Asian migrants to the UK for different reasons. Some of this has been motivated by a need to escape civil war, to seek better economic opportunities, for marriage or to join family members. According to the 2011 census, South Asians represent the largest minority group in Britain. Many of these migrants have settled in the UK and are contributing to economic, social and political life (Girishkumar, 2014). Despite the apparent assimilation of South Asian migrants into the UK and their relatively large number South Asian women migrants in particular continue to face multiple disadvantages. These disadvantages include language barriers, lack of education, lack of skills, poor quality housing, unemployment (Girishkumar, 2014) and specific forms of violence associated with the various cultural and religious practices that define their identity. (Raj and Silverman, 2002; Anitha, 2008). These increase the gender-based power imbalance, threby reinforcing the patriachal structures of both the host and migrant cultures, which leads to the further marginalisation and victimisation of women (Anitha, 2008; Girishkumar, 2014)

The Centenary Community Engagement Fund Working Paper: Partnership working, current community challenges and interdisciplinary research opportunities

The University of Leicester’s centenary celebrations provide a timely opportunity for academics, staff and students to endorse our civic mission and engage anew with partners and stakeholders in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR). The University owes its existence to the foresight and commitment of local people, who in the aftermath of the First World War helped to champion and establish University College Leicester in 1921, in the belief that access to higher education would enable a better future for all in the city and counties. The College was awarded university status in 1957, and its history and fortune has been inextricably linked with the city and local communities in LLR. Over the years, we have worked together passionately, to reap new opportunities, face immense challenges and help to improve lives in communities locally across the UK and internationally. Community partnership and collaboration can readily be witnessed through the hundreds of academics, students and staff who are actively involved with mission driven charities and third sector organisations many of whom participated in the Centenary Community Engagement Fund Workshop in November. Our leading researchers also have very strong links with community facing organisations and major institutions such as the University Hospitals of Leicester Trust. The same is true of multi-disciplinary academic research teams collaborating proactively with charities, businesses, social enterprises and organisations in a wide range of sectors from social care to arts and culture. This paper is concerned with the Centenary Community Engagement Fund just one of the new civic initiatives launched during our Centenary year. This Fund will provide £125,000 in philanthropic funding for novel interdisciplinary research with partners and for more sought after internships for our talented students