National campaign begins to combat gender-based violence in Sri Lanka

From left: Colombo University undergraduate Isuru Manchanayake, Moderator Digital Transformation and AI Governance Specialist Asela Waidyalankara, Attorney-at-Law Isuru Mahesh, Sisterhood Initiative Founder and Co-Director Nabeela Iqbal, and Nuwara Eliya Journalist Yadhusha Ravi Thiyagarajah

• 16 Days of Activism Against GBV addresses the dual threat of online and offline violence

By Safna Malik 

The national program, ‘16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV)’ was kicked off recently at the BMICH. The initiative was jointly led by the UNFPA, the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, and supported by the Government of Canada.

This year’s campaign focused on the global theme: “UNiTE to End Digital Violence against All Women and Girls.” This annual action, started on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, will go until 10 December, Human Rights Day.

The UNFPA Sri Lanka and Maldives Officer-in-Charge Phuntsho Wangyel in his opening remarks emphasised the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the digital sphere and its rapid advancement, while noting a crucial digital safety gap: the inability to detect hate content in Sinhala or Tamil.

He explained that while AI tools are trained in Natural Language Processing (NLP), the capacity to process and refine these complex systems for other languages remains under development, and the current lack of effective moderation presents an immediate and serious threat globally.

Wangyel presented key findings from the 2025 research study, showing the most common forms of online harms are the creation of fake profiles (36.9%) and sharing obscene texts/videos (36.9%). Other issues reported include doctored images (25.2%), unauthorised exposure of personal information (doxxing) (24.3%), gender trolling (24.3%), and cyber blackmail (20.4%). He said creating safe digital spaces are necessary to achieve gender equality, youth empowerment, and inclusive national development.

The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Dr. Harini Amarasuriya joined virtually to offer insights on digital empowerment and safety, and cautioned that every post, share, and message online carried significant power, having the capacity to either uplift or destroy a person’s life. Emphasising the vital need for protecting personal privacy, she highlighted that self-esteem empowered everyone to achieve their fullest potential.

The Prime Minister delivered a direct message to individuals experiencing online violence, assuring them that they are not alone and are not to blame for the abuse. She strongly urged victims not to remain silent and to seek help, affirming that Government and private institutions have established the necessary frameworks to offer comprehensive support. Specialised helplines available include: Women and Children’s Desk – 109, National Hotline for Women and Children – 1938, Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT) – 101, Mithuru Piyasa – 070 261 1111, and Women In Need – 077 567 655.

She laid out a national vision, asserting that the nation must collectively work to create a Sri Lanka where technology serves to uplift rather than harm, ensuring everyone and all citizens from all walks of life can live free from fear, both online and offline, as this is their fundamental right.

Following the Prime Minister’s address on digital safety, the High Commission of Canada to Sri Lanka/Maldives Counsellor and Head of Cooperation Kiril Iordanov delivered a message on behalf of the High Commissioner of Canada stating the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence (GBV) annual effort serves not only as a moment of reflection but as a call to action to honour those working to address the issue.

Iordanov noted that GBV remains one of the most pervasive human rights violations globally, affecting women, girls, and members of the LGBT community, including within Sri Lanka.

He detailed that the initiative is designed to strengthen state judicial, police, and social service institutions, specifically aiming to improve and end these types of crimes. Iordanov asserted that only through openly discussing GBV, including its new digital dimensions, can society collectively challenge discriminatory social norms and diminish the widespread stigma surrounding this violence.

The Minister of Women and Child Affairs Saroja Savithri Paulraj said while efforts to eliminate violence are continuous, she states that the 16 Days period offers a crucial window to significantly accelerate these efforts. The Minister emphasised that technological advancement has opened the digital space as a vast arena for Technology Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV), causing fear, threat, and insecurity.

She highlighted the existing legal foundation, citing Penal Code Section 345 which criminalises sexual harassment and allows for both criminal penalties up to five years imprisonment, a fine, or both and victim compensation.

She detailed the Government’s comprehensive plan to end (TFGBV), which includes advocating for urgent review and amendment of existing laws including the Penal Code and Cyber Laws to ensure they adequately criminalise and prosecute all forms of TFGBV.

Furthermore, the plan supports dedicated budgetary allocation to strengthen law enforcement and the judiciary capacity including training and digital forensics to effectively handle digital violence cases. The Minister added that the Government will ensure the national response to TFGBV is fully integrated into the strategy to address sexual and gender based violence and supports national programs that foster digital literacy and ethical online behaviour among youth, government officials, and the public.

She affirmed that every citizen holds a moral duty when handling shared digital content. The Minister provided a direct example, stressing that when an individual receives a private image or video, whether of a known or unknown person, the impulse to forward it is a shameful act, and highlighted that a responsible individual must make the immediate choice to take definitive action and report the content instantly.

United Nations Resident Coordinator for Sri Lanka Marc-André Franche cited global and national statistics, noting that 85% of women who spend time online globally have witnessed digital violence against other women. He highlighted the rapid pace of digitalisation in Sri Lanka, where the number of internet users has nearly doubled from 6.7 million to 12 million over only the last six years. He noted that online misinformation and disinformation are increasingly undermining women’s participation, rights, and freedom of expression.

Franche pointed out that Sri Lanka’s current legal framework contains ambiguities, outdated definitions, and limited judicial interpretation, making the effective prosecution of online violence challenging.

To mitigate these gaps, the UN is supporting the Government to build central, safe reporting mechanisms where citizens can report online and offline violence in one place. Additionally, the UN is working with the Women and Child Affairs Ministry and the Health Ministry to ensure survivor support is integrated into existing services.

The UN commended the establishment of the National Women’s Commission. He urged the Government, ahead of the budget debate, to allocate the necessary resources during the budgetary cycle to ensure the commission becomes fully operational and capable of implementing its essential amendments. He assured that the UN stands with Sri Lanka to build an online environment rooted in equality, safety, and respect.

The Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (Sri Lanka CERT) Chairman Thilak Pathirage highlighted that achieving the $ 15 billion economic growth by 2030 requires the engagement of the entire population, necessitating robust cyber-safety frameworks.

He detailed that Sri Lanka CERT is currently working with the Government on six major initiatives, including a dedicated cyber-safety program for women and girls.

Pathirage highlighted the development of a new E-safety web portal as a key initiative. He noted the portal’s uniqueness: it allows anyone to report violations and is directly linked to almost five collaborating organisations engaged in resolving such matters. This coordinated response is expected to significantly reduce the number of digital security incidents. He said that the portal will be promoted nationwide through schools and community centres to maximise its reach and effectiveness.

The national campaign launch featured engaging activities such as skits and a focused panel discussion addressing TFGBV, which was moderated by Asela Waidyalankara and included panellists Nabeela Iqbal, Yadhusha Ravi Thiyagarajah, Isuru Mahesh Panditha, and Isuru Manchanayake, who provided valuable insights from youth on the issue and prevention strategies.

Pix by Sameera Wijesinghe