The Women and Media Collective (WMC), together with 188 individuals and 27 organizations, has strongly condemned the sexualised and misogynistic attacks directed at Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya.
The statement highlights that such harassment, which escalated following an error in a Grade 6 English language module, constitutes gender-based political violence and undermines democratic participation.
The WMC stressed that accountability in education reforms must not be weaponised to legitimise misogynistic abuse. It noted that sexualised harassment is not a political critique and that character assassination cannot be considered democratic engagement.
The organisation called out the double standards imposed on women politicians and condemned the opportunistic involvement of political actors, citizens, and media outlets in the smear campaign.
According to the statement, these attacks are not isolated incidents but deliberate political acts intended to intimidate women and delegitimise their leadership.
The WMC emphasised that such violence violates Sri Lanka’s obligations under international conventions, including CEDAW and the ICCPR, which require the state to eliminate discrimination and guarantee women’s participation in public life free from intimidation.
The WMC urged the Government of Sri Lanka to prevent, investigate, and prosecute all acts of gender-based political violence, both online and offline.
It further called on political parties to defend women representatives and on digital platforms to swiftly remove harmful content.
The statement affirmed solidarity with the Prime Minister and all women leaders, declaring that protecting women’s political participation is a democratic imperative. (Newswire)
