Tougher penalties for sexual harassment in public transport/spaces

WOMEN and Child Affairs Minister Saroja Paulraj recently launched a national campaign aimed at tackling sexual harassment in public transport and public spaces.

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Sexual harassment in some form or another is something almost every woman and girl has experienced in their lifetime, Paulraj said at the launch of the campaign.

It was jointly launched in partnership with the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs and the Ministry of Transport, Highways, Ports, and Civil Aviation, and technically supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Sri Lanka with funding from the Government of Japan. The aim is to create safer, gender-sensitive public spaces and ensure dignity and safety for all commuters, especially, women and girls.

This is not the first time we have had such programs launched. Many such projects have been undertaken in the past, with lofty targets set but the problems persist.