Sri Lankan social media has erupted following the release of a video showing a senior staff officer at the Road Development Authority (RDA) Udugampola office assaulting a female staffer.
The shocking footage of extreme workplace violence against women drew reactions from prominent political leaders, activists, journalists and other civil society figures who demanded immediate action. However, the law enforcement authorities or the RDA is yet to make an announcement on the action taken against the abusive officer.
“A video of a despicable male chauvinist assault on a fellow female worker at a government work place is in circulation in the social media networks,” Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said commenting on the issue.
“This horrendous criminal act should be deplored and vehemently condemned by all and I strongly urge the government to take prompt and stringent punitive measures against the perpetrator of this act. Legislation which severely punishes such acts must be strengthened and Women’s rights and welfare at the work place has to be better protected,” he added.
Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa also condemned the incident and said the government had “zero-tolerance” towards such behavior.
“A proper investigation must be conducted and strict action must be taken against any sort of unwelcome conduct in the work place,” Rajapaksa tweeted last night.
Gender activist and lawyer Aritha Wickremasinghe said authorities should not stop at suspending the government official in question. “He should be arrested, prosecuted and jailed,” he said.
“Something must be done about this as soon as poissible — this man must be arrested, and stand as a public example of the consequences of inflicting violence against women. There is no way this man should be allowed to get away with this,” senior journalist Roel Raymond posted on Facebook. Many have expressed similar views in this regard, exerting pressures on the government for rapid action.
According to the video, the female officer had been assaulted for a minor delay in finding a telephone number for the boss. She had apparently found the telephone number in five minutes but the senior officer had still assaulted her for failing to follow the order “in time.”
The female worker had been saved from the boss by some of her male co-workers who rushed to the scene. In the video she tells her coworkers that she has been continuously subjected to severe harassment by her boss.
