The field of journalism in Sri Lanka has been hit very hard by allegations of sexual harassment after several women journalists sparked a #MeToo style social media campaign by revealing details of the abuse.<\/p>\n
Mid-level and senior journalists and broadcasters have been identified as alleged perpetrators by the women journalists who have begun to take their stories of abuse on Twitter. Several stories have been confirmed by fellow reporters who worked beside them in hostile or sexually aggressive work environments.<\/p>\n
The spate of claims started when journalist Sarah Kellapatha tweeted<\/a> last week that a male reporter had threatened to rape her while she was working at a newspaper from 2010 to 2017.<\/p>\n Journalist Sahla Ilham said she had been sexually abused by a \u201cfamous editor\u201d at a now-defunct newspaper. Ilham said her abuser had pressured her family to keep the incident quiet.<\/p>\n “I have been silent for too long,” Ilham said.<\/p>\n I have been silent for too long, now I have to add what happened to me as well. After I started working at a reputed now defunct newspaper, I was sexually abused by a famous editor in a now defunct newspaper. It was to the point that he was controlling my family to stay quiet. –<\/p>\n — sahla ilham (@sahlailham) June 21, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n