Sri Lanka Journalism Hit By Sexual Harassment Controversy

JUNE 23, 2021

The field of journalism in Sri Lanka has been hit very hard by allegations of sexual harassment after several women journalists sparked a #MeToo style social media campaign by revealing details of the abuse.

Mid-level and senior journalists and broadcasters have been identified as alleged perpetrators by the women journalists who have begun to take their stories of abuse on Twitter. Several stories have been confirmed by fellow reporters who worked beside them in hostile or sexually aggressive work environments.

The spate of claims started when journalist Sarah Kellapatha tweeted last week that a male reporter had threatened to rape her while she was working at a newspaper from 2010 to 2017.

Journalist Sahla Ilham said she had been sexually abused by a “famous editor” at a now-defunct newspaper. Ilham said her abuser had pressured her family to keep the incident quiet.

“I have been silent for too long,” Ilham said.

When she was interning at a newspaper in Sri Lanka, US Journalist Jordana Narin said a senior journalist had sexually harassed and verbally abused her, forcing her to complain to the chief editor. The alleged abuser was forced to resign from the newspaper Narin said.

“(He) was the best journalist Sri Lanka had ever seen. I couldn’t wait to learn from him … Instead I spent the next two months being favoured by him, then yelled at by him, embarrassed by him, and groped repeatedly by him,” Narin said.

“And let me say unequivocally — I believe and stand with @saararrr,” Narin tweeted, referring to Kellapatha. Narin also tweeted extracts from a journal she maintained during the period of harassment detailing the incidents.

The journalist Aisha Nazim compiled a list of women sharing their stories and tried to identify the men accused of harassment so that other women could steer clear of users.

 

At the Cabinet press briefing on Tuesday Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said he would order an investigation into the harassment allegations.

At the same press conference, a male journalist Deepal Warnakulasuriya informed the Media Minister that one of the victims who had spoken out about sexual abuse from a senior journalist was making unfounded allegations. Warnakulasuriya told the Minister that he had escorted the woman making the allegations for medical treatment on one occasion, hinting about her medical condition and insinuating that her claims were not to be trusted.

On Twitter, Kellapatha said a male colleague had “threaten to rape” her once during a normal conversation we were having. The journalist she referred to has replied the charge.

Women journalists said the experiences had caused upset them deeply and caused long-term trauma.

The Foreign Correspondents Association (FCA) urged media institutions to launch swift investigations into the allegations and take necessary steps to prevent recurrence. The FCA expressed solidarity with Sri Lankan journalists who have faced harassment at the workplace.

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