End Sexual Violence in SL

Violence Makes Sri Lanka Unsafe

Welcome to this site. If you are reading this, you are aware that Sri Lanka is currently experiencing a downturn in tourism. This is because of the shutdowns and restrictions necessary due to the pandemic. We are looking forward to opening up the borders, the airports and our tourism industry again for business. While we prepare for this, we should also look to how we can open with our best practices in place. Unfortunately in recent years, there have been several incidents in which foreign visitors and tourists have been sexually attacked and abused. Sri Lanka is being described on international travel platforms as a dangerous and unsafe place for female tourists to visit.

This is a situation that damages not only our reputation and image, but our self-respect as a nation. If immediate action is not taken, Sri Lanka, with its beautiful landscape and diversity of wonderful positive experiences to offer international guests, is in economic and social danger of being bypassed as a travel destination. High levels of violence - whether due to civil unrest, terrorist attack or the constant incidents of harassment we witness and hear of - are bad for business.

We recognize that the incidents of assault and harassment take place in a context, and are not ‘one off’ incidents. That context involves cultural and sociopolitical factors that will take a long time and systematic reform and education to change. In the meantime, much can be done.

The seriousness of this issue cannot be measured in statistics. It affects the emotional happiness, confidence and safety of our female citizens: our daughters, sisters, nieces, wives and aunts, and our children, grandchildren, cousins and in-laws, and young people of every gender identification who are vulnerable because of their youth and relative inexperience of life. By reading their stories, we can gain an insight into the spectrum of harm caused by harassment in our society.

Harassment is really a form of interference with the body and peace of mind of another human being. It is disrespectful and intrusive. And much of it is not taken seriously because it is not technically physical ‘assault’ or rape. 

For this cultural mindset to change, we need to understand that all forms of harassment and abuse are forms of violence, in their impact on the victims who experience these words and actions.

We are collecting here all the stories and incident reports of assault and harassment in SL in recent months into a document. This will have each story listed separately with all the specifics but no personal details. Each story can be accessed through a title but anyone reading the whole collection will see how big the problem is.

There are 3 parts to the campaign:

1. To collect the reports and stories of sexual violence, harassment and assaults in SL, and send them to the designated email: endingsexualviolencenow@gmail.com.

2. To edit and document the reports and prepare them as an open access resource via this blog. To identify areas in which actionable recommendations for improvement can be made.

3. To write to the Ministries which have vested interests in remedying the situation in SL: Tourism, Police, Justice, Immigration & Education (incorporating Women’s and Children’s Affairs). Ccd to The President, Prime Minister, The Defence Secretary and other relevant authorities.

This document can then be used as a resource for media articles and posts, to raise awareness of how bad the problem is and how damaging it is for the whole country.

It will provide fact-based evidence to make recommendations to the Ministries for change.

We also want to collate helpful information on this site as a PDF document which can be shared with all stakeholders. ‘On the ground’ facts on where to seek assistance and support when faced with violence, harassment and abuse. 

Obviously the ‘most serious’ cases are rape and violence cases. But the ‘less serious’ cases of continual harassment, grabbing, groping, etc. all create an atmosphere of tension and unease for women as well. Witnessing verbal threats and intimidation, prolonged staring and uncouth and lewd public behaviour lowers community morale for local citizens, as well as making foreigners uneasy.

The purpose of this site is to raise public awareness of the ongoing damage caused by endemic harassment and disrespect to women, and children, identify specific areas which can be improved, recommend better training for police authorities who receive the complaints, and provide a space for people to record and process their experiences so that the public can see the range and extent of the problem and how it affects people in our everyday lives.

 

This blog will contain:

 Incident reports

 Anecdotes

Facebook posts

Eyewitness accounts

 Map of the worst affected regions with contact details of police stations located in those regions.

 Links to articles in online and print media which showcase the issues.

 Recommendations and tips for travellers and visitors on who to contact for assistance if needed when faced with violence, harassment or abuse.

Resources related to education on gender equality, consent, and dignity.

 

Information from various community groups which have been doing work in the areas of women and children’s safety, dignity and rights:

 

Emerge

Grassrooted

Bakamoono

Equal Ground

Chatra

Sambol Foundation

CPF (Child Protection Force)

UNICEF

Think Equal

WIN (Women In Need) 

Not Your Nangi

Women’s Chamber of Commerce

Wisdom Wednesdays

Shhhh! Talk About Taboos

BENDR

Report Sexual Harassment In SL

Femcon Sri Lanka

FPA (Family Planning Association)

Colombo and Regional Rotaract

Sumithrayo Foundation

Rotary International

Consortium For Intersectional Justice

SL Unites

Verite Research

Sunera Foundation

Tea Leaf Vision

The Nucleus Foundation

Mankiwwa Citizen-Led Technology

Sisters At Law

It is upsetting to face the reality of the high level of sexual violence in a country that we love, and in which many of us have multi-generational ties. Some people feel that issues such as harassment should not be raised publicly, as doing so harms the country’s reputation. The media do not report many of the incidents, and - on a familial and personal level - the shame and stigma attached to speaking out about being assaulted and abused means that many people feel they have no recourse but to continue to suffer. 

But if a silence is maintained on the matter, no improvement can take place. It is for our collective benefit as a country that we hope to help create a more open discussion and promote a determined cultural effort to change this sad and stressful situation.

Instead of complaining on Facebook and Twitter about it, let’s take positive action now to change it for the better. It’s not a minority issue. It is a major problem affecting the safety and well-being and peace of mind of all of us who live and work in Sri Lanka, and who are committed to #endingsexualviolencenow.