Use 119 to make complaints over sexual harassment

Women and girls can use 119 Police Emergency hotline number to make any complaints over sexual harassments; especially on public transports, the Head of Child and Women Bureau, Ms. L.R. Amarasena said today.

She said that women and girls are often silent in case of sexual harassment in public transport because they need to reach their destination soon without getting involved in any legal activity against the harassment, while travelling.

“Hotline number 119 is always available for immediate help and women and girls can speak out and seek support from the Police for any emergency case,” she said while launching of Public Campaign on sexual harassment against women on public transport at the United Nations (UN).

Although, she said that bystanders could intervene to prevent when they witness or become aware of incidents of harassment.

“We can see that women witnesses are often a step back without providing evidence of harassments on public transports but woman can play a vital role to make safer environment for another woman by stressing their voice over such incident,” she said.

According to the UN Policy Brief about sexual harassments on public transports in Sri Lanka they had identified ninety per cent of women and girls had experienced sexual harassments in buses and trains. (Yoshitha Perera)