The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a resolution to introduce legal provisions enabling Sri Lanka to ratify and implement the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention on Eradicating Violence and Harassment in the World of Work (C190).

Adopted at the 108th session of the International Labour Conference in 2019, C190 is the first international convention addressing violence and harassment in the workplace. 

The convention was presented to Parliament in May 2021 following a Cabinet decision earlier that year.

According to the government, ratifying and executing the convention will help eliminate violence and harassment in both formal and informal work sectors, ensure safer and more secure workplaces, and encourage greater participation of women in the workforce.

As such, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the proposal presented by the Minister of Labour to implement the required actions for introducing the legal provisions for approval of the convention of the International Labour Organization on Eradicating Violence and Harassment in the World of Work and execution of the same. (Newswire)

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Opposition MP Chamindranee Kiriella has alleged that a Deputy Minister had verbally harassed a female journalist in Parliament last week.

Addressing the Parliament, MP Chamindranee Kiriella said she was present when the incident took place. 

“I was by the side of the journalist when this incident took place. At the time, she faced serious harassment. She was emotionally affected due to this incident. I express my regret over the matter. I draw the attention of the Prime Minister to this matter, as she constantly addresses these issues,” MP Chamindranee Kiriella.

She added that it was essential to draw the attention of the Prime Minister for the sake of both the government and opposition female MPs. (Newswire)

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Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has called for sexual harassment to be made a crime nationwide after being groped on the street while greeting supporters near the presidential palace in Mexico City.

Sheinbaum, 63, said on Wednesday that she had pressed charges against the man and would review nationwide legislation on sexual harassment following the attack by a drunk man who put his arm around her shoulder, and with the other hand touched her hip and chest, while attempting to kiss her neck.

Mexico’s first woman president removed the man’s hands before a member of her staff stepped between them. The president’s security detail did not appear to be nearby at the moment of the attack, which was caught on camera.

The man was later arrested.

“My thinking is: If I don’t file a complaint, what becomes of other Mexican women? If this happens to the president, what will happen to all the women in our country?” Sheinbaum held her regular morning news conference on Wednesday.

In a post on social media, the president said the attack was “something that many women experience in the country and in the world”.

“I filed a complaint for the harassment episode that I experienced yesterday in Mexico City. It must be clear that, beyond being president, this is something that many women experience in the country and in the world; no one can violate our body and personal space. We will review the legislation so that this crime is punishable in all 32 states,”she said, addressing an event.

Sheinbaum explained that the incident occurred when she and her team had decided to walk from the National Palace to the Education Ministry to save time. She said they could walk the route in five minutes, rather than taking a 20-minute car ride. (Al Jazeera)

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A complaint has been lodged with the National Police Commission regarding the harassment of three-wheeler taxi services by local three-wheeler drivers in tourist areas.

It is reported that the complaint claims that Police Officials have failed to take action regarding such incidents. 

As such, the National Police Commission has reportedly summoned the DIG of the Tourist Police Unit over the matter. 

Several complaints, especially from Down South and Kandy, have also been received on local three-wheeler drivers threatening drivers of three-wheeler taxi services, such as PickMe and Uber.

Preventing the three-wheeler taxi services from entering tourist areas, complaints also claim that local three-wheelers with meters were charging high prices to both tourists and locals. (Newswire)

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A Police Constable who had forcibly entered a state school and misbehaved in front of female students while under the influence of alcohol was arrested by the Mallavi Police yesterday.

According to the Lankadeepa newspaper, the arrested officer was a Constable attached to the Mallavi Police Station in the Mullaitivu District.

The Mallavi Police had arrested the Police Constable following a complaint received claiming that he was harassing a group of female students. 

The arrested Police Constable was handed over to a Judicial Medical Officer for an examination, after which he was found to be intoxicated. 

The Police Constable has been arrested on charges of being intoxicated while on duty, forcibly entering a school while intoxicated, and harassing students. (Newswire)

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The public who are facing various threats via the internet has been requested to seek the assistance of the Police Computer Crimes Investigation Division.

Police Spokesman, DIG Nihal Thalduwa said that people facing various harassment and threats from individuals via the internet can file a complaint with the Police Computer Crimes Investigation Division.

Addressing the media, DIG Thalduwa said those requiring assistance can file a complaint via the email dir.ccid@police.gov.lk. 

He further said that complaints can also be filed via the Police Children & Women Bureau hotline 109 which is operational 24/7. 

The Police Spokesman revealed the helplines after a 21-year-old youth from Hikkaduwa was apprehended for harassing a young woman via Facebook.

The youth had repeatedly proposed to the girl, who had rejected him on multiple occasions. He had then sent a link to the girl claiming that her explicit images had been uploaded to the internet, which the girl had requested her boyfriend to inspect. 

The link led to a phishing attack through which the suspect had obtained the online chat conversations and images between the couple, which he had used to create explicit images of the woman and had threatened her in exchange for sexual favours. 

The woman had filed a complaint with the Criminal Investigations Department after which the suspect had been lured to Piliyandala and had been apprehended. (NewsWire)

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A Sri Lankan man who had attempted to harass foreign tourists in Ella has been arrested and remanded. 

Video footage of the incident, recorded by the American tourists, shows the man verbally abusing them and attempting to pelt stones at them.

The altercation had occurred when the tourists who were walking along the railway line in Ella had refused the local man’s assistance to provide directions. 

The man, who is a resident of Kidelella, has been remanded until March 04, 2024, after being produced before the Bandarawela Magistrate’s Court. (NewsWire)

ඇල්ලේ චණ්ඩින්ගේ කෙරුවාව… අමාරුවෙන් ගොඩ එන රටේ නම කැතකරන හැටි කැමරාවේ pic.twitter.com/ozkd86Y9ww

— Ada Derana Sinhala (@adaderanasin) February 29, 2024

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United Republic Front (URF) Leader MP Patali Champika Ranawaka has condemned the recent incident involving the alleged harassment of Russian tourists at a beach hotel in Sri Lanka, stating it is deeply regrettable and unacceptable. 

Issuing a statement, MP Champika Ranawaka said Sri Lanka and Russia have enjoyed a longstanding and strong diplomatic relationship, built on mutual respect and cooperation. 

MP Champika Ranawaka pointed out that such incidents tarnish the reputation of both countries and undermine the goodwill that exists between them.

“As a party, we strongly urge the government to take immediate and decisive action to investigate the matter thoroughly and apprehend the culprits responsible for the harassment. It is essential that justice is served swiftly and that the guilty parties face the maximum punishment under the law if found culpable.

“Furthermore, steps should be taken to ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future and that the safety and well-being of all tourists, including Russian visitors, are safeguarded. The relevant authorities must prioritize the protection of tourists and uphold the standards of hospitality and respect that Sri Lanka is known for,” he said.

Reaffirming commitment to maintaining the strong and friendly relations between Sri Lanka and Russia, MP Champika Ranawaka called on the government to take all necessary measures to preserve and strengthen these ties. 

“Let us work together to ensure that all visitors to Sri Lanka, including Russian tourists, feel welcomed, respected, and safe throughout their stay,” he added. (NewsWire)

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Plans are underway to revise the minimum age limit of children left behind when women go abroad for work from 2 years to the previous limit of 5 years, State Minister for Women and Child Affairs Geeta Kumarasinghe announced. 

State Minister Kumarasinghe said steps have been initiated to collect data at the Divisional Secretariat level to ascertain the number of mothers with children under 5 years who have migrated abroad.

She further said that plans are also underway to install CCTV cameras in all passenger transport service buses, aiming to reduce incidents of violence against women. 

The State Minister said measures are being taken to inform all Provincial Governors, the Minister of Transport, the National Transport Commission, and the Provincial Road Passenger Transport Authority to enhance the safety of women in public passenger transport services.

“Moreover, it is anticipated that the installation of cameras in public passenger transport services will contribute to reducing violence against women. 

“As a result, our emphasis has been on submitting a proposal to the relevant authorities to make the installation of cameras a mandatory license condition for passenger transport service buses in their annual licensing process, she said. 

State Minister Geeta Kumarasinghe also announced the commencement of a program to provide a complete morning meal for all preschool children in Sri Lanka this year.

She further highlighted that the proposed Gender Equality Bill aims to affirm and protect gender equality rights.

The State Minister made these remarks during the press conference held at the Presidential Media Centre on Thursday (Jan 11).

“Ensuring a nutritious breakfast for 120,000 preschool children posed a significant challenge. To address this, a request has been submitted to President Ranil Wickremesinghe to increase the allocated amount from Rs. 60 to Rs. 100 per child. Given the high prevalence of malnutrition among children in Sri Lanka, the focus is on providing a protein-rich meal.

“As a response, measures are underway this year to provide a full morning meal for all preschool children across the island. The initiative aims to encompass all Regional Secretariats, covering approximately 120,000 non-estate and 35,000 estate preschool children, totalling 155,000 beneficiaries.

“Additionally, there is a plan to introduce a training program for preschool teachers. Currently, there are 18,333 preschool teachers registered under the National Secretariat for Early Childhood Development, representing every district in Sri Lanka. While a monthly payment of Rs 2500 is provided to enhance the quality of the preschool sector and evaluate the work of preschool teachers, it is recognized that this amount falls short of their livelihoods. Therefore, there is a proposal to further increase this payment,” she said.

The State Minister also revealed that plans were underway to distribute nutrition packs to pregnant mothers, stating that the initiative aims to provide 220,214 pregnant mothers with nutrition packs for 10 months, each valued at Rs. 4,500 per month.

Stating that the Ministry has outlined plans to propose and enact three new bills aimed at safeguarding the rights of children and women, she said specifically, efforts are underway to solidify gender equality rights through the Gender Equality Bill. 

“This initiative includes the establishment of a Gender Equality Council, encompassing representation for the LGBTIQ community. Within this council, endeavours are ongoing to hire Gender Focal Point officers for various government institutions,” she said. (NewsWire)

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A German tourist has accused local three-wheeler drivers of harassing her and a group of friends for attempting to travel via an app-based taxi service in Matara.

In a video message, the female German tourist revealed that she and her friends had arrived in Matara via bus on 18th February and had booked a car through a local- app-based taxi service to travel to Mirissa Beach.

She said that, however, when they had attempted to get into the vehicle a group of local three-wheeler drivers had harassed them preventing them from using the taxi service.

The tourist claimed that she and her friends were forced to move to another area to meet the taxi driver, but were surrounded once again by the local three-wheeler drivers.

She further stated after negotiating with the three-wheeler drivers and paying a commission, they were allowed to travel in the car from the local- app-based taxi service.

Stating that this was a sad situation, the German tourist added that as a tourist it was an unpleasant experience in Sri Lanka. 

This is the latest incident to be reported involving the harassment of foreign tourists by local three-wheeler drivers in Sri Lanka.

On 7th February, video footage recorded by two foreign tourists in a three-wheeler, showed the driver being verbally abused and warned not to transport tourists in the Galle area. 

The incident occurred after the tourists had booked a three-wheeler via the local- app-based taxi service. 

Incident video link: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=749989493367147&extid=CL-UNK-UNK-UNK-AN_GK0T-GK1C&mibextid=2Rb1fB&ref=sharing (NewsWire)

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Sri Lankan app-based taxi service, PickMe Sri Lanka has expressed hope that the Police will take necessary action against local three-wheeler drivers harassing other app-based taxi drivers. 

Issuing a statement, PickMe Sri Lanka said action is needed to ensure the safety of their driver partners and bring about a permanent solution to the threat by local three-wheeler mafias in various areas.

“The right intervention is urgently needed to protect the rights of passengers and safeguard drivers,” it added.

The statement comes after a PickMe driver was recently harassed by local three-wheeler drivers for transporting foreign tourists in Galle. The incident had been recorded by two foreign tourist passengers and had been widely shared on various social media platforms.

Many local social media users condemned the incident, calling for the three-wheeler mafias to be severely dealt with, as it could be detrimental to Sri Lanka’s tourism industry. 

Full statement by PickMe:

The recent verbal attack on a PickMe driver, by tuk drivers in Galle and the police investigation that followed, is encouraging and a step in the right direction. The three-wheeler service is, in fact, a public transport system that acts as a last-mile transport solution for passengers.

Given that these disruptive acts of threats and intimidation by one section of drivers can, apart from tarnishing the tourism industry, seriously damage the reputation of a well-run second-tier public transport system of this country. 

App-based taxi-hailing services have created a platform for fair pricing and stable market conditions. This was clearly visible in the said incident where even visitors to the country no longer wish to haggle with three-wheeler drivers on the road. It is the overseas visitors’ preference to go with the app-based taxi-hailing option that caused grief to the PickMe driver. 

What is even more disturbing is that tourists are recording and sharing these incidents on social media. What damage it will do to our tourism industry is anybody’s guess. 

While this incident is unfortunate, it showcases an ugly side to those operating this form of transport service. However, we firmly believe that this is done by a small section of the service providers who try to operate their services in a mafia-style, through threats and intimidation. 

In the past, we had had many reports from the PickMe network of such bullying, especially in Kandy, Ella, Galle, Unawatuna, and Negombo Hotel Road areas. Unfortunately, drivers on the PickMe network are reluctant to make a complaint to the police as they fear repercussions on the road by this mafia.

Now that the situation is being made public by overseas visitors, it is more serious and we fervently hope the police will take necessary action to ensure the safety of our driver partners and bring about a permanent solution to this matter. The right intervention is urgently needed to protect the rights of passengers and safeguard drivers. (NewsWire)

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