Origin:

In the summer of 2024, I became a passport member of the American Women for International Understanding (AWIU). This organization then introduced me to Sisters at Law, a nonprofit organization in Sri Lanka that supports women who have faced domestic violence.

Research

Marini de Livera, the head of Sisters at Law, focuses on pro bono cases, helping women who cannot afford a laywer. I specifically assist her with researching how international law, such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, can apply to domestic law, especially in times when Sri Lankan law does not adequately protect these women’s rights. I am currently mainly working on researching how international law has changed in recent years, helping Ms. de Livera revise the Sri Lankan Constitutional Law Book.

Funding

A large part of Sisters at Law is providing a shelter for girls and women who no longer have places to live, either because their parents have abandoned them or they can no longer live with their husbands. Through helping them start a bag-selling business in the United States and applying for dozens of grants, I have helped them raise over $3000.

Started a bag-designing business, where the girls at the shelter can enjoy the process of hand-designing bags, and I help sell them in farmers markets in the U.S.

I helped create a presentation teaching police officers in Sri Lanka about human rights

Video I created about Sisters at Law that won the UNA Pasadena Video Challenge ($500)