Women in Mannar Demand Action Against Fake Social Media Accounts Targeting Activists

Female activists in the northern Sri Lankan district of Mannar have launched a unified campaign against a rising tide of online harassment targeting women engaged in political and social activism. At a press conference held last week at the Mannar Women’s Development Union office, participants issued a forceful call for legal action against perpetrators using fake social media accounts to spread defamatory content.

The briefing, organized under the leadership of Union President Mahalaxmi Guru Santhan, brought together women members of local government bodies, social activists, representatives from fishermen’s organizations, and other community stakeholders to address what they described as a systematic attempt to silence female voices in the region.

“The sustained effort to intimidate women activists through online platforms represents a direct threat to our democratic foundations,” said one participant, highlighting how the harassment extends beyond mere political disagreement to gender-based attacks on women’s personal character, appearance, and private lives.

The Mannar region, still recovering from Sri Lanka’s decades-long civil conflict that ended in 2009, has seen women playing increasingly prominent roles in post-war reconstruction and governance. However, this growing female presence in public life appears to have triggered backlash in the form of coordinated social media campaigns designed to undermine their credibility.

Speakers at the event emphasized that while political differences are natural in a democratic society, targeting women specifically because of their gender crosses a critical line. They described how the online harassment often includes threats of violence, humiliating comments about women’s bodies, and attempts to expose details of their private lives—tactics rarely employed against male counterparts in similar positions.

The harassment carries real-world consequences, according to representatives from the Women’s Development Union. They pointed to declining rates of female participation in community meetings, increasing hesitancy among women to speak publicly on controversial issues, and psychological distress experienced by those targeted. Several women have reportedly withdrawn from public roles entirely following particularly aggressive harassment campaigns.

Human rights organizations operating in northern Sri Lanka have documented similar patterns across the Tamil-majority regions, suggesting this represents a broader challenge to women’s participation in post-conflict governance structures. The phenomenon mirrors global trends where online harassment disproportionately affects women in public-facing roles.

“When women are silenced through intimidation, we lose essential perspectives in decision-making that affects entire communities,” explained a local government representative at the briefing. “This isn’t merely a women’s issue—it undermines the quality of our democracy itself.”

The gathering outlined specific demands, including prompt investigation of fake social media accounts by law enforcement authorities, implementation of existing laws against cyber harassment, and establishment of support mechanisms for women targeted by such campaigns. They also called on social media platforms to respond more effectively to reports of gender-based harassment.

Sri Lankan law technically prohibits online harassment through the Computer Crime Act and other legislation, but enforcement has been sporadic, especially in regions like Mannar where institutional presence remains limited. Activists highlighted the gap between legal protections on paper and actual implementation.

The Union emphasized that their campaign is not seeking special protection but rather equal application of existing laws and a recognition that gender-based harassment represents a form of discrimination that inhibits women’s constitutional right to participate in public life.

As the meeting concluded, participants reaffirmed their commitment to creating a safer environment for women in politics and social activism, announcing plans for a district-wide awareness campaign about online harassment and training sessions on digital safety for women in public roles.

The situation in Mannar reflects broader challenges facing female political participation across post-conflict societies, where women’s increased visibility often collides with entrenched gender norms, creating new forms of resistance through digital platforms.