Action Fund for Women's Human Rights. Alongside her activism, Abeysekera was a noted feminist scholar. She focused on the issue of mainstreaming women's human rights concerns within the international human rights system. The political participation of women and ending violence against women were two key areas of her work. She also worked with cultural workers and cultural groups to develop and create new ways of expressing themselves through the media and the arts, including work on critical cultural theory. The major themes of Sunila Abeysekera's work include issues of equality and non-discrimination in understanding women's human rights and in promoting equal treatment for women; problems of re-conceptualising the nation-state and principles of good governance from a feminist perspective; problems of representation of women in art and culture; and feminist film criticism. Abeysekera was a lesbian and single mother of six children, who she adopted from Tamil friends forced to flee the country. She died from cancer at the age of 61 on September 9, 2013. Her funeral was attended by thousands of people. Selected works "Women and the Media in Sri Lanka: The Decade from Nairobi to Beijing," in Facets of Change. (Sri Lanka: CENWOR, 1995). CENWOR - Centre for Women's Research "Women's Human Rights: Questions of Equality and Difference," (MA Thesis) (The Hague: Institute of Social Studies, 1994). "Women and sexuality : the city and the village ; Sri Lanka". Cinemaya: The Asian film quarterly. 1996, Nr. 32 (Spring, April/June), pp. 8–13 "Organising for Peace in the Midst of War: Experiences of Women in Sri Lanka," in From Basic Needs to Basic Rights. (ed.) M. Schuler. (Washington DC: Women, Law and Development International, 1995). "The Abortion Debate in Sri Lanka," in Reproductive Health Matters. (London: 1995). "Consolidating Our Gains at the World Conference on Women's Human Rights: A Personal Reflection." Canadian Women's Studies Journal 15 (Spring-Summer 1995). “Aragalaye Sthrihu” (Women in the Struggle). Women and Media Collective (Colombo: 1988) “Sthriya, Sthree Sirura, Cinemawa: sthrivadi vicharakshithayen baleemak” (Woman, Women’s Bodies, the Cinema: a feminist critique), Women and Media Collective (Colombo: 2013) “Women in Sri Lankan Cinema.” Framework: The Journal of Cinema and Media, no. 37 (1989): 49–58. “Sexuality: A Feminist Issue?” Women in Action (1:1999) "Voices of Women: Media Alternatives in Sri Lanka.” In K. Bhasin (Ed.), Women and Media: Analysis, Alternatives and Action pp. 89-91. (New Delhi : Isis International, Rome and Pacific and Asian Women’s Forum 1984) Awards