Many women journalists in Sri Lanka have recently begun a string of #MeToo allegations in newsrooms which have stirred controversy in the media outlets.
Certain senior editors and politicians in Sri Lankan media outlets are under the radar as the government has ordered an extensive investigation into allegations of sexual harassment.
Sri Lanka newsrooms were hit by sexual abuse charges after journalist Sarah Kellapatha tweeted last week that a male colleague had threatened to rape her while working at an unnamed newspaper during 2010-17.
Since then, the country’s top media outlets have been accused of threatening women with rape, systematic mismanagement and sexual harassment by many female journalists. The issue has obtained international attention and a global campaign against sexual violence in Sri Lanka has been initiated.
Unlike the 2019 movement,
women working in newsrooms of media outlets have started sharing specific details of their sexual exploitation. These women are not holding back anymore and are openly naming perpetrators accusing them of sexual harassment and rape threats.
Government spokesman and Minister of Mass Media, Keheliya Rambukwella said that his ministry will investigate the allegations reported by women journalists.
“We will talk to women journalists and we will take action if any such incidents have taken place,” he said.
The “Metoo” campaign has gained momentum in Sri Lanka with the hashtag trending at the top and many human rights organizations called for an investigation. The pioneer of this movement, Journalist Sarah Kellapatha wrote in her tweet last week:
“It was impossible for any woman to come to work in a dress because then she would have to endure male Colleagues’ obscene comments about her legs and body. And at one time, during a normal conversation, a colleague threatened to rape me.”
Sarah also mentioned that she felt very upset when a few days ago she saw the video of the same colleague on his Twitter in which he was talking to the media.
In response to her tweets, a man named Hafeel Farisz said an allegation has been levelled against him on Twitter by Ms Kellapatha.
“The only conversation about or around ‘rape’ that I had with Sarah was after a well-known incident where a male colleague emailed another male angrily that he would ‘rape’ him if he continued to slander him,” he said.
American journalist Jordana Narin also accused the editor of a newspaper of sexual harassment in a statement on Twitter claiming she was harassed during a two-month internship at the newspaper.
Another journalist, Kavindya Thennakoon, described the incident when a senior colleague kissed her without her consent and how she had to work with him for several months. 
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Correspondents Association has also expressed solidarity with the victims in the wake of such shocking allegations. In a statement, the association said:
“We urge media institutions to swiftly investigate these allegations, and take necessary steps to prevent a recurrence. As a collective, it is our responsibility to ensure that our workspaces make all our colleagues feel safe and equal.”
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