Thursday Oct 31, 2024
FT
Thursday Oct 31, 2024
Thursday, 31 October 2024 03:42 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
From left: Deputy Commissioner of Elections Piumi Atigala, The Carter Centre Democracy Program Program Associate Claire Goldman, The Carter Centre Digital Hygiene and Safety Expert Dr. Gabrielle Bardall, CaFFE Executive Director Manas Makeen, Election Commission of Sri Lanka Commissioner General Saman Sri Ratnayake, and CaFFE Administration Director Surangi Ariyawansa
The Carter Centre Digital Hygiene and Safety Expert Dr. Gabrielle Bardall provides female candidates with insights on digital hygiene
By P.D. De Silva
The Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE), with support from The Carter Centre, hosted a workshop on Monday, 28 October to provide online safety guidance to female candidates preparing for the upcoming Parliamentary election.
The Carter Centre Digital Hygiene and Safety Expert Dr. Gabrielle Bardall led the session for 36 female candidates, including former Parliamentarians, focusing on “digital hygiene” practices and online security. Dr. Bardall advised the candidates to “Share Minimum Information” (SMI) online to reduce vulnerability to unwanted attention, emphasising strategies to handle online harassment.
The event featured a keynote by Election Commission of Sri Lanka Commissioner General Saman Sri Ratnayake. Other speakers included The Carter Centre Democracy Program Program Associate Claire Goldman, The Carter Centre Sri Lanka Project Manager Manjula Gajanayake, Deputy Commissioner of Elections Piumi Atigala, CaFFE Executive Director Manas Makeen, and CaFFE Administration Director Surangi Ariyawansa.
Despite confirming attendance, National People’s Power (NPP) female candidates were notably absent from the training, having withdrawn their participation en masse.
