By: Isuru Parakrama
March 15, Colombo (LNW): The recent sexual assault of a doctor at Anuradhapura Hospital has reignited discussions around the pervasive violence against women in Sri Lanka.
The National People’s Power (NPP) Women Members of Parliament have expressed solidarity with the victim whilst calling for systemic reforms to address the ongoing issue of gender-based violence.
They emphasised that the fight must not be confined to the identity of individual victims, but rather focus on dismantling the broader culture of misogyny and violence against women that persists in society.
The MPs noted that crimes against women, ranging from sexual harassment to assault and even murder, are alarmingly frequent in Sri Lanka. These acts, they argue, are not only a result of physical violence but also the pervasive culture of hate speech and online abuse that dehumanises women.
This culture, they said, feeds into the normalisation of violence against women and creates an environment in which such crimes are overlooked or trivialised.
The NPP Women MPs specifically raised concerns over the media’s handling of the victim’s statement, criticising the lack of sensitivity towards survivors of violence.
They stressed that violations of privacy, particularly in the media, often lead to victim-blaming and further discourage women from coming forward to report crimes.
The MPs urged the media, law enforcement, and the judiciary to prioritise the privacy and dignity of survivors to ensure that victims feel empowered to report such incidents without fear of further harm or stigma.
The MPs also called for urgent reforms to the criminal justice system, insisting that clear and strict standards be established for the police, judiciary, and media when handling cases of gender-based violence.
They underscored the need for these reforms to focus on the lived experiences of women, to better support them through the legal process and beyond.
In closing, the MPs appealed to society to show empathy, refrain from gossip and speculative theories, and work together to protect survivors from further harm.
They called for a collective commitment to combatting the “silent epidemic” of violence against women and ensuring that survivors are given the support they need to seek justice.
Full Statement:
ACollective Pledge for Justice Reforms and Demand for Ethical Reporting – NPP Women MPs
The Sexual Assault of a doctor in Anuradhapura hospital has once again sparked a discussion on our collective failure to combat violent crimes against women. While we express our solidarity and empathy with the survivor of this particular incident we also stress that regardless of the social category or the identity of the victim, our mission should be to dismantle the culture of violence against women.
Every day we hear of one crime or the other against women, ranging from murder to sexual assault to sexual harassment at a workplace or in cyber space. Hate Speech against women is normalized indicating a deeper problem of a culture of misogyny which builds towards a culture of physical and sexual violence. It is important to understand that often normalized acts of online abuse and verbal harassment are part and parcel of a culture that considers women to be sub- human.
If we take this particular incident we notice the same casual misogyny taking over what was initially an empathetic response from all quarters of the society.
Therefore as women, who have continuously advocated for reforms to support survivors of violence and harassment, we consider it our duty to contribute to the public debate as we strive in our capacities to reform the systems tacking violence and harassment against women.
We are especially deeply concerned about the publication of the victim’s statement in the media and the lack of sensitivity in our system towards violent crimes against women which leads to such lapses. The law enforcement authorities and the media must act with sensitivity towards survivors of violence and harassment. In a large number of cases women are discouraged to report incidents of violence and harassment to authorities precisely because of the stigma attached to their names from there on. Every survivor has a right to privacy. The judiciary, police and the media must prioritize the privacy and well-being of survivors if we are to encourage reporting of crimes to authorities.
Often such violations of privacy lead to victim blaming on a large scale, as we see in this case too. Social media chatter about the supposed credibility of the actions of the woman following the crime creates a culture of shame and self-doubt which prevents women from reporting sexual assault to authorities.
Therefore we request everyone to protect the privacy of the woman involved and refrain from gossiping and sharing misguided theories about such violent crimes. Survivors do not have one size fit all reactions. In order to combat this silent epidemic of violence against women we must center our justice system on the experience of women who face such situations.
Therefore we urge that necessary reforms to our criminal justice system and media should be made to enhance our institutional capacity to combat violence against women. Clear and definite standards should be put in place for the police, the judges and the media to handle cases of crimes against women. As a society we need to approach these crimes with empathy protecting the privacy of the survivors without adding to her burden and discouraging women from coming forward to report and seek justice.
1 Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education
2 Ms. Hemali Weerasekara, Deputy Chairperson of Committees
3 Ms. Saroja Savithri Paulraj, Minister of Women and Child Affairs
4 Ms. Sagarika Athauda, Attorney-at-Law, Member of Parliament
5 Dr. Kaushalya Ariyarathne, Member of Parliament
6 Ms. Oshani Umanga, Member of Parliament
7 Ms. Krishnan Kalaichelvi, Member of Parliament
8 Ms. Nilanthi Kottahachchi, Attorney-at-Law, Member of Parliament
9 Ms. M.A.C.S. Chathuri Gangani, Member of Parliament
10 Mrs. Nilusha Lakmali Gamage, Member of Parliament
11 Mrs. Samanmali Gunasingha, Member of Parliament
12 Mrs.Thushari Jayasingha, Attorney-at-Law, Member of Parliament
13 Ms. Anushka Thilakarathne Attorney-at-Law, Member of Parliament
14 Ms.A.M.M.M. Rathwaththe, Member of Parliament
15 Ms. Hasara Liyanage, Attorney-at-Law, Member of Parliament
16 Ms. Deepthi Wasalage, Member of Parliament
17 Ms. Hiruni Wijesinghe Attorney-at-Law, Member of Parliament
18 Ms. Ambika Samivel, Member of Parliament
19 Ms. Lakmali Hemachandra, Attorney-at-Law, Member of Parliament
20 Ms. Geetha Herath, Attorney-at-Law, Member of Parliament
