The Women and Media Collective condemns the socially-motivated indictments of Thilini Amalka, a 21 year old girl from Wariyapola. Thilini who had supposedly been sexually harassed by a man at the Wariyapola bus stand was summoned by the Wariyapola Police for questioning on the 25th of August. The police, instead of taking proper action with regard to the complaint by Thilini, made her undergo psychiatric tests. Thilini has faced secondary victimization. Societal response to a victimizing humiliation is more disabling than the initial stigmatic condition itself.
The stereotypical response of some media sources shows the internalized sexual objectification of women in Sri Lanka. The media creates, exposes and imposes attitudes in society. Therefore the media should be responsible and cognizant of this and should not reproduce attitudes which condone violence against women or girls.
“When it comes to violence against women, there are no grounds for tolerance and no tolerable excuses” (Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s message for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women – 2013)
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