Sri Lanka: CFWIJ Demands Investigation into Sexual Harassment of TV Anchor Ishara Dewendra by Network Official
Location: Sri Lanka, Colombo
Date: April 21, 2023
Presenter Ishara Dewendra leaves state-run TV network after boss coerces sexual favors for promotion. The Coalition For Women In Journalism stands in solidarity with Dewendra and demands those responsible will be forced to resign instead.
“I gave up on my dream job for the sake of self-respect,” wrote news anchor Ishara Dewendra on Facebook on April 21.
The TV presenter for ITN announced she was resigning after being pressured for sexual bribes by an unnamed senior official at the station.
Dewendra shares she encountered a culture of sexual harassment and abuse during her time at the company.
“Even though I informed the authorities about this, with an audio recording, with evidence, no one has taken action,” she says.
Sri Lanka’s Federation of Media Employees Trade Unions commended Dewendra for bravely speaking out on the “barbaric acts” she experienced at ITN.
The trade union noted that Dewendra had complained to the chairman of the television station, but “none of the responsible people paid attention to her.”
Ishara Dewendra began her career in the media in 2008 and joined ITN on March 15, 2023.
Workplace sexual harassment of women journalists
Sexual harassment is a criminal offense in Sri Lanka and is punishable by up to five years. However, media rights groups say women journalists are often subjected to harassment. Most do not report incidents due to social stigma and legal inaction, which leads them to suffer in silence.
In 2021, CFWIJ documented several accounts of workplace sexual harassment experienced by Sri Lankan women journalists. Journalists spoke on Twitter about how they endured unsolicited salacious remarks from male colleagues and were threatened with rape.
Media companies are responsible for ensuring their newsrooms are safe for women journalists. Misogynistic behavior by male colleagues towards their female counterparts is deplorable. Women journalists deserve better.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism commends Ishara Dewendra for speaking openly about sexual harassment. She took a stand against a powerful state-run media company and had to leave her job as a result. A culture of impunity for harassers in the network must not continue.
We stand in solidarity with Dewendra and demand ITN creates a safe environment for its female employees and thoroughly investigates her allegations.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.
