As attacks on Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya intensify, Colombo’s Mayor has issued a sharp reminder that when women rise, it is often their private lives, not their public work, that come under assault.
Responding to the wave of criticism and personal attacks directed at Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, Colombo Metropolitan Council Mayor Vraie Cally Balthazaar has spoken out forcefully on social media, warning of a familiar and dangerous pattern in Sri Lankan public life.
In a post shared on her Facebook page, Balthasar said that when women step into positions of power, especially those who refuse to conform, obey, or fit neatly into socially approved frameworks, scrutiny rarely focuses on their leadership or policy decisions. Instead, she noted, attention quickly shifts to their private lives, which are provoked, distorted, and weaponised to undermine their authority.
She acknowledged that many women in public life do not claim to possess a perfectly ordered “work-life balance,” arguing that this reality should not be framed as a failure. According to her, such lives are shaped by the roles women have fought hard to claim, reflecting commitment rather than weakness.
Balthasar strongly rejected what she described as the growing normalisation of violence and harassment, whether openly practiced or quietly tolerated. She stressed that silence itself is a deliberate choice, one that allows abuse to flourish.
Calling on women to remain vigilant, she urged society to reject harassment disguised as criticism and misogyny presented as concern. She reaffirmed her support for women who lead, challenge tradition, and unsettle social comfort simply by asserting their power.
