In an incident which some social media users referred to as the latest example as to why Sri Lanka needs a stronger Me Too movement (a movement against sexual harassment and the rape culture which encourages among other things, for victims to come forward), a popular female news anchor of the State owned television channel, the Independent Television Network (ITN), had alleged that she had to leave the institution due to sexual advances by certain senior officials of the institution.
Her Facebook post about the alleged incidents went viral, prompting various forms of discourses among different groups, and as The Daily Morning reported this week, even institutional actions. According to Mass Media Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardana, ITN Chairman, Attorney Sudarshana Gunawardana has appointed a committee to investigate into the allegations of sexual harassment faced by the said news anchor, Ishara Dewendra. The said investigation is scheduled to be conducted by an external committee headed by a female lawyer, and as per the reports, the committee will receive the legal advice of the Attorney General and the Principal of the Law College. In a country where countless allegations have gone unaddressed with or without actions, the fact that such a committee was appointed, taking into account the ethical concerns pertaining to conducting an internal investigation within such a brief period of time is a welcome move. It sets a precedent that if the authorities have a genuine interest, they could launch proper actions even without an official complaint, and that institution heads should strive to protect institutions’ reputation by dealing with allegations of wrongdoings and the perpetrators, and not by denying the occurrence of such within institutions.
The fact that this committee receives ample legal support and it being headed by a female lawyer are positive signs. However, that is merely the first and least important step. Whether this incident would become an example of how effectively allegations of sexual harassment could be addressed and prevented, or an example of how power and money could suppress grave wrongdoings within public institutions, depends on how the said committee conducts its probe into the said allegations. While there is no clarity as to how this committee would conduct the probe, in a context where the ITN has a reputation for being an excessively politicised institution, it is crucial to ensure that this committee’s probes do not succumb to political influences, and that this committee disregards whatever the reasons that protected the alleged perpetrators in Dewendra’s case before her resignation.
Dewendra has alleged that even though she complained to the ITN’s top management regarding her experience, her complaints were not responded to properly, which was also a reason that prompted her to resign. In this context, the matter at hand is also a reminder that institutions, especially public institutions, need strong, effective and transparent institutional mechanisms to handle matters of this nature, as opposed to the present system which lacks sensitiveness and support to victims and usually involves human resource professionals or senior officials handling matters of sexual harassment. The most important aspect of such mechanisms is qualified officials, i.e. those who are sensitive to harassment related issues and possess the qualifications and experience to handle such issues smoothly, having been appointed to handle such mechanisms. Such responsibility should not be an additional duty of an existing official or an official that does not have the said qualifications, nor should it be in place only on paper and not in implementation. It is also crucial to ensure that these mechanisms have the power and freedom to operate without being subjected to the influence of various officials of an institution, and have the capacity to handle harassment related issues discreetly and transparently. At the same time, these mechanisms should be strong enough to protect victims and give supects a fair opportunity to be heard in keeping with due process principles and rights. What is more, the human resource is considered the most important form of resource that any institution could have, and it is also in the institutions’ interest to protect their employees.
Having in place institutional mechanisms that ensure the safety and well-being of employees, especially in cases of harassment by senior officials, is not an additional responsibility, although in Sri Lanka, it is easily mistaken as such. To be safe from harassment is a basic right.