🚨 SL Women Politicians Face Rising AI-Driven Digital Abuse

• Online sexual harassment in Sri Lanka is escalating rapidly, amplified by AI-driven tools like deepfakes and synthetic media, which are used for "honour-based" attacks. • CCID Case Surge: Reports of digital sexual harassment of women rose sharply from 182 in 2021 to 625 in 2024. 365 cases were reported in just the first five months of 2025. • Political Targets: An IPU study found 60% of surveyed women parliamentarians in the Asia-Pacific (including SL) faced online abuse—the highest rate among IPU regional studies. • Women’s representation in Parliament is at its highest-ever 10% (22 out of 225), but remains low, with AI threats adding to systemic barriers. • Enforcement Gaps: CCID has only formally investigated two digital harassment cases involving women politicians to date. Cooperation from platforms like Meta is reported as often "slow or absent." • Legal frameworks are inadequate, with no existing laws directly addressing AI or deepfakes, highlighting an urgent need for institutional reform and stronger laws.