Women in ‘border villages’: imagining and practicing community in postwar Sri Lanka

This research project aims to rethink community and nation-making in postwar Sri Lanka through a focus on war-affected women in ‘border villages.’ An understanding of community as fixed and defined by ethnicity has resulted in problematic agendas led by both state and non-state actors in Sri Lanka. This exploratory, qualitative research study will examine how women in ‘border villages’ – areas known for multiculturalism and networked encounter – constitute community through everyday interactions and practices, and to what extent such insights might open new pathways for nation-making that are not based primarily on ethnicity.

This seminar is Viyanga's mid-term doctoral candidature presentation.

About the speaker

Viyanga Gunasekera is a PhD candidate at RegNet. She is trained as a social science researcher and is a Research Fellow at the International Centre for Ethnic Studies in Sri Lanka. Her previous research includes women’s land rights and empowerment, women’s representation in politics, social inclusion and exclusion, psychosocial wellbeing of ex-combatants, and pluralistic memories of post-war Sri Lanka. Viyanga has a BA (General) and MPhil in Psychology from the University of Peradeniya. Viyanga’s research interests include memory, peacebuilding, land rights, vulnerable groups of people, gender, and psychosocial wellbeing.

COVID protocols

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This seminar presentation is a dual-delivery event. Registration is not required for in-person attendance as neither the ANU nor ACT Health conduct contact tracing.

If you require accessibility accommodations or a visitor Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan please email regnet.communications@anu.edu.au.

Image credit: Image of woman returning home after selling vegetables in a village in Sri Lanka, supplied by Viyanga Gunasekera, all rights reserved.