COLOMBO – The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) on Wednesday (15) expressed grave concern over the “alarming” number of incidents of abuse, harassment and defamation directed at women on social media platforms and urged the government to take measures to address online harassment and gender-based cybercrimes.  It also said that though the freedom of expression of any person must be respected by the state, such freedom may be legitimately restricted to protect the rights and freedoms of others.

In a statement issued on Wednesday (15), the Commission said the continued verbal abuse and harassment faced by women politicians, political activists and those in the public sphere, threatens their safety, dignity, and rights to privacy and equality.

“Online harassment, ranging from cyberbullying and ‘doxing’ (ie, publishing private and personally identifying information about a particular person on the internet) to non-consensual sharing of personal content, has created a hostile digital environment for women,” the Commission said, adding that these acts not only violate human rights but also perpetuate gender inequality, discouraging women’s active participation in the public, professional, and personal spheres.

The statement attributed the harassment to the peers of the women targeted and the members of the public, and highlighted as cases in point, the online harassment of two women parliamentarians, Nilanthi Kottahachchi and Kaushalya Ariyarathne, where disinformation intended to harm their personal and professional lives was disseminated and amplified.

“These are the most recent incidents of harassment of women in public office referencing their personal lives,” the Commission noted, condemning the acts and calling attention to the fact that such online behaviour is both ethically reprehensible and, in certain cases, punishable under Sri Lanka’s criminal law.

“For instance, section 345 of the Penal Code provides that causing sexual annoyance or harassment through words or actions amounts to an offence,” it said, pointing out that law enforcement authorities are duty-bound to impartially investigate complaints made with respect to such incidents.

Pointing out that Sri Lanka is a party to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which obliges the state to protect women from all forms of violence, including online harassment, the Commission said the principles and goals set out in CEDAW are now part of Sri Lanka’s domestic law through the enactment of the Women Empowerment Act, No. 37 of 2024, and urged the government to expedite operationalizing of the Act and to take measures to address online harassment of women and gender-based cybercrimes.

The statement, also noted that Sri Lanka is currently being reviewed by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women and that on January 6, the Commission submitted its Parallel Report to the Committee, focusing on the list of issues raised with respect to Sri Lanka’s National Report.

Emphasizing that women, regardless of their position in society, have the right to live free from harassment, discrimination, and fear, it said social media platforms must be spaces where individuals can express their views without subjecting others to cruelty, humiliation, or defamation.

In this context, the Commission also called upon social media platforms to implement decisive and sustainable measures to protect users from harassment, as they have a responsibility to maintain a safe and respectful online environment.

It also reminded the public that the harmful online actions are not isolated incidents, but part of a broader pattern of systemic gender-based violence and that addressing the issue requires not only legal accountability but also a culture of greater respect for women’s rights and dignity in all spheres of life.

-ENCL