Film Screening to Promote Feminist Ideas: Kata Wahapan Siriyawathi
Strengthening women's voices means more than simply giving them an opportunity to speak. It also means listening to what they say, acknowledging their experiences, and respecting their right to make decisions about their own lives.
Art is a powerful medium for promoting feminist ideas and raising social awareness. In particular, film screenings followed by discussions can play an important role in increasing awareness of women's rights among rural women. Accordingly, Sisterhood selected the Sinhala short film Kata Wahapan Siriyawathi (Shut Your Mouth, Siriyawathi) as the first film in its programme to promote feminist ideas.
The film portrays the experiences of a rural girl who grows up facing discrimination and humiliation simply because she is a girl. Within her family, at school, and among her peer groups, she is subjected to various forms of gender-based discrimination. Whenever she questions the injustices she experiences, the response she receives is the same: “Shut your mouth, Siriyawathi!”
As she grows older, Siriyawathi gets married and becomes a victim of multiple forms of violence at the hands of her husband. Every time she attempts to speak out against this violence, her voice is suppressed with the same command. Eventually, unable to bear the pressure any longer, she dies by suicide. Only then do her mother, husband, and others gather around her lifeless body, crying, “Please speak, Siriyawathi!” This powerful irony lies at the heart of the film.
From a feminist perspective, Siriyawathi's story is not merely the tragedy of an individual woman. It represents a patriarchal social system that expects women to remain silent. From childhood, girls are taught that obedience, silence, and enduring injustice are desirable feminine qualities. The suppression of women's voices is therefore not simply a restriction of individual freedom; it is also a social mechanism that allows violence and oppression against women to continue.
Screening this film and discussing it with rural women is particularly significant. It creates an opportunity for them to reflect on their own experiences, family relationships, and the social expectations imposed upon them. Discussions following the screening can encourage women to question injustice rather than passively endure it, recognise their rights, and understand the importance of speaking out against discrimination and violence.
Strengthening women's voices means more than simply giving them an opportunity to speak. It also means listening to what they say, acknowledging their experiences, and respecting their right to make decisions about their own lives. Before crying out for Siriyawathi to speak, society must allow her to speak while she is still alive. This is an essential foundation for feminist social transformation.
