Harassed everywhere, everyday

Groundviews marks International Women's Day mapping the widespread nature of street harassment in Sri Lanka:

'Virtually unreported, condoned and invisibalised.' These are the words used in Women and Media Collective's December 2015 Country Profile on Universal Access to Reproductive Rights to describe street-based sexual harassment.

Deputy Minister of Transport, Rohana Dissanayake alleged in July 2011 that one in four women are subject to sexual harassment in public transport on a daily basis. A survey conducted by the Legal Aid Commission (LAC) in 2011 revealed that 70% of women between the ages of 15 and 45 years have experienced sexual harassment while using public transport.

Amarasinghe et al (2004) in a study at Maradana railway station found that as many as 94% of women - from school girls, to working women and girls studying in higher educational institutions - had experienced harassment in public transport.

There have been numerous events conducted to raise awareness against street harassment, and in the social media era, people's stories are quick to reach a wide audience.

Recently, a father posted a story online about his two young daughters (aged 13 and 17) and a group of drunk beachgoers who passed lewd comments at them, much to his discomfort and anger. What was interesting was one response to this article, by a young man who claimed that 'boys will be boys' and suggested that the women secretly felt 'psychologically validated' by the attention.

Street harassment

March 8 (Tuesday) marked International Women's Day, and this year Groundviews decided to highlight the widespread nature of street harassment, by mapping it.

Each marker tells a story - a story of a woman trying to go home, to work, or just about her day - only to be made to feel uncomfortable, or even unsafe.

A 2014 Report from the Commission of the Prevention of Violence against Women and the Girl Child noted that harassment was so pervasive, be it on the streets, on public transport or even at the workplace, that women in Sri Lanka often did not question it.

This did indeed turn out to be the case for many of the women interviewed, who spoke of 'the usual catcalls' as par for the course when travelling to and from work. The August 2014 incident at the Wariyapola bus terminal caused intense debate on the correct response to harassment, and the problems of implementing the law.

Mapped incidents

Excerpt

Negombo: I remember once I was taking a bus home around nine in the night, and this man who was next to me kept nudging me with his elbow and I was fidgeting and tsking, so the gentleman behind me tapped me on the shoulder and offered to switch seats.

Peradeniya Bus Stop: When I was going in the bus, on my way to a tuition class, I felt someone trying to do something weird. Then I discovered a man was lifting my skirt from behind. I was just 12 years old. I never wore skirts after that - to this day I don't wear skirts. I had a friend who had experienced a man ejaculating on her hand in the bus - she was just 16. People think Kandy is a cultured city, but it is not the case [when it comes to harassment].

Matara Bus Stand: This happened on the Matara highway bus. [The man sitting next to me] gradually started leaning over and despite my many attempts to ask him to move away, he didn't. Then he started rubbing his elbow on my leg. So I took pictures of him, and kept my laptop in between us.

Wadduwa Junction Bus Stop: I was travelling alone to Colombo, we were on a trip and I left early because I had a class to attend. There was one seat left. Later on the bus got crowded, so people had to stand. There was this one guy standing next to me and I could feel he was getting closer. At one point he took his phone out and I felt he was pointing it at me. But the bus kept jerking so he didn't have control over his phone and I tried looking in and he was trying to take a picture, I heard the camera click. I hit his hand with the phone and told him I'm not stupid and to stop trying to take photos.

Mannar CTB Bus Station: I usually take the night bus to Mannar, where you can get a 'ladies seat' sitting next to a lady. One Sunday afternoon, around 1.00 p.m., I jumped on a CTB bus. I didn't think there would be trouble as Pettah is crowded. However, the bus slowly emptied around 8.00 p.m. and the seat next to me became vacant. There were two conductors on the bus, and the younger conductor sat next to me, quite close, with his leg touching mine. He was also asking me questions like where I am going, and whether I wanted anything to eat, or asking if I wanted to use the facilities. I told him to get away from me. He went off and the other conductor sat next to me. I looked around and realised I was the only woman in the bus. By 10.00 p.m. it was nearly empty, and some Army guys got onto the bus. They were not looking at me at all but were minding their own business. I kept asking the man to move. I was exhausted so usually though I don't sleep on the bus, I fell asleep. I was hugging my laptop bag. When I woke up this conductor's hand was on my stomach, in such a way that no one else could see. I was by now convinced they would rape me if they got the chance. At the Mannar Army checkpoint, the Army personnel got up and started taking their stuff to leave. But they saw my panicked look, and sat down again. I called my colleague because I was so terrified, to come and pick me from the Mannar CTB Bus station, because I wanted them to know someone was waiting for me. Now I know there are things you could do, but confidence deserts you at that point.

The girl, who was reacting to sexual harassment, was herself remanded after the boy she slapped was admitted to hospital. She was produced before the JMO and Magistrates Court, and further subject to media scrutiny, with much of the coverage focusing on the girl's reaction, rather than the issue of sexual harassment. The girl was subjected to 'double harassment' since most people seemed to think she had overreacted.

As Wijesekara et. Al (2014) pointed out, this tended to reinforce the acceptance of sexual harassment as a 'normal' occurrence in Sri Lanka. It was only later that the youth concerned was also remanded, and the girl filed a Fundamental Rights petition against police officers.

Many of the women interviewed did see harassment as normal, talking of 'the usual catcalls' when speaking about harassment.

Extreme distress

However, others recalled the extreme distress they were in following the incidents they recounted.

"I was extremely upset, I couldn't help crying as I walked on the road. I felt dirty and used. It was just so disgusting," said one girl.

"It took me a few days to recover because there wasn't anyone I could talk to. I was terrified at first...I was new to the country...how do you react to something like this when all your life something like this never happened?"

"I was terrified. Even though now I know there are so many things you could do, your confidence deserts you. The next day I had a fever from the stress and the fear."

As the Chairperson of the Legal Aid Commission found, women using public transport were often reluctant to make a complaint to the bus conductor, the driver or the police. Further, even bus drivers and conductors were reluctant to give evidence against perpetrators in Court, as long drawn out court proceedings would affect their daily income.

Penal Code

In 1995, amendments to the Penal Code replaced Sec.354 relating to assaulting and outraging the modesty of a woman with the new offence of sexual harassment, defined thus:

Unwelcome sexual advances by words or action used by a person in authority, in a working place or any other place shall constitute the offence of sexual harassment.

Whomsoever by assault or by the use of criminal force sexually harasses another person or by the use of words or actions causes sexual annoyance or harassment commits the offence of sexual harassment.

Countless campaigns have also asked women to report incidents to police. In 2014, Stop Street harassment reported a new initiative by the Women and Children's Bureau - an SMS service to complain about harassment at 0716550000.

Those found guilty under the Penal Code face up to 5 years in prison - but as long as harassment is normalised, and as long as stigmatisation continues, particularly in public cases such as that of the Wariyapola case, it will continue to be virtually unreported - an invisible issue.