#MeToo and SL

Nearly four years after #MeToo announced itself to the world, as women from all walks of life began openly sharing their stories of abuse and sexual harassment, the past week has seen Sri Lanka’s very own #MeToo movement reawaken.

Back in 2017 when #MeToo first caught the public’s attention, the outcry in Sri Lanka was significant, with women reporting instances of harassment on public transport, at the workplace, or at home. But while the size of the issue was clearly in no doubt, years on Sri Lanka is still seemingly light years away from dealing with the underlying cause of this abuse.

Abuse at the end of the day is a symptom of the patriarchal and deeply misogynistic society we live in – from overt objectification and catcalling on the road and at the workplace, to more subtle privilege, like a man expecting every woman he helps to owe him her affection in return. These are just the more obvious issues and don’t even touch on the day-to-day workplace instances of misogynistic double standards, where the differences in the way men and women are perceived is jarring.

The latest reigniting of #MeToo in Sri Lanka was prompted by allegations appearing on social media of a prominent journalist/lawyer using his position of authority over female subordinates to create a hostile work environment and make unwelcome sexual advances. This allegation then prompted several more women to come forward on social media relating their own stories of harassment in the workplace, including media houses.

The matter was then posed to the media minister, who provided assurances that if such allegations were brought to his attention an investigation would be launched. While that was welcome, if the inaction over the past few years – since the initial #MeToo movement reached Sri Lanka – has shown anything, it’s that more needs to be done.

For there to be meaningful change, women in this country need to be empowered to speak up when their dignity is violated, instead of being shamed and told to stay quiet and “move past it”. Abuse is in the end about power – more specifically the abusers’ power over their victims – and by not providing victims with a platform to speak out, we as a society are complicit in their suffering. A starting point would be companies’ Human Resources departments educating employees as to what behaviour is and isn’t appropriate in the workplace. This would include, among other things, educating employees on the importance of power dynamics and why it is inappropriate for managers/superiors to pursue sexual or romantic relationships with their subordinates, as the power dynamic at play invariably puts subordinates in a position where they may feel that declining any unwanted advances could adversely affect their careers.

Secondly, victims need to feel comfortable coming forward with their complaints without fear of reprisal. This requires HR heads to be strong, find ways to be compassionate towards victims even when the proof on hand may only be hearsay, and put in place avenues for complaints to be lodged.

Finally, there needs to be more dialogue within society on how best to address such issues, not only when it comes to victims, but abusers as well. It’s paramount that we as individuals hold abusers accountable for their behaviour, but rather than aim to destroy lives and reputations, provide them a platform to make amends and rehabilitate their behaviour. 

Education is key at the end of the day; starting from school level onwards, boys and girls alike need to be educated on consent and what that constitutes. And conversations surrounding consent and abuse should not be considered taboo, but encouraged. It’s only when each of these areas is addressed, can we get closer to resolving an issue that women have had to endure for far too long.