How Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence Impacts Women and Girls

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November 29, 2023

How Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence Impacts Women and Girls

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Globally, roughly 736 million women — virtually one in three — endure violence not less than as soon as of their life. The most prevalent type of violence in opposition to ladies globally is intimate associate violence (affecting round 641 million). However, this drawback goes past interpersonal relationships and reaches into various environments, together with on-line platforms. Online violence in opposition to ladies and women has escalated quickly in recent times, posing main threats to security and well-being.

Online violence in opposition to ladies and women

The digital transformation brings about substantial alternatives, nevertheless it additionally constitutes an area the place hurt might be perpetrated.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) raises considerations about defending and selling human rights. Societal biases linked to gender roles and identities are ingrained in social programmes and companies by means of automated decision-making. Algorithms and devices have the potential to unfold and reinforce dangerous gender stereotypes. These gender biases pose a threat of additional stigmatising and marginalising ladies on a world scale.

The COVID-19 pandemic elevated digital violence as ladies and women moved on-line for work, college and social actions. The significance of expertise in realising gender equality and fostering inclusive growth has by no means been extra evident or urgent.

What is Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence?

Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence is “any act that is committed, assisted, aggravated or amplified by the use of information communication technologies or other digital tools which results in or is likely to result in physical, sexual, psychological, social, political or economic harm or other infringements of rights and freedoms.”

Who is most affected?

Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence targets all women who use technology. Certain teams of ladies are extra liable to this kind of violence due to their actions, identities, or entry to particular data and companies. Notably, human rights defenders, journalists and lawmakers, politicians, ladies activists and feminists, teachers and younger folks face elevated charges of violence.

For occasion, 73% of women journalists have skilled on-line violence in the midst of their work.

Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence can disproportionately influence ladies and women on an intersectional basis, contemplating components resembling race and ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, faith, gender identification/expression, socioeconomic standing, incapacity, and refugee standing. Women encountering various types of discrimination, together with ladies with disabilities, ladies of color, migrant ladies, and LGBTIQ+ people, bear unequal penalties.

Woman working on her laptop — The enduring results of violence can have a big influence on a girl’s well being and well-being, persisting all through her lifetime.

What are the types of violence in opposition to ladies occurring on-line?

Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence takes many forms, together with sextortion (blackmail by threatening to publish sexual data, photographs or movies); image-based abuse (sharing intimate photographs with out consent); doxxing (publishing personal private data); cyberbullying; on-line gender and sexual harassment; cyberstalking; on-line grooming for sexual assault; hacking; hate speech; on-line impersonation; and utilizing expertise to find survivors of abuse so as to inflict additional violence, amongst many others. Digital instruments may exacerbate violence occurring offline, together with intimate associate/home violence and trafficking.

The most common forms of violence reported included: misinformation and defamation (67%), cyber harassment (66%), hate speech (65%), impersonation (63%), hacking and stalking (63%), astroturfing (a coordinated effort to concurrently share damaging content material throughout platforms, 58%), video and image-based abuse (57%), doxxing (55%), violent threats (52%), and undesirable pictures or sexually express content material (43%).

According to the EU Rights Agency, one in 10 women in the European Union has skilled cyber-harassment for the reason that age of 15, together with having obtained undesirable and/or offensive sexually express emails or SMS messages, or offensive and/or inappropriate advances on social networking websites.

What is the influence of Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence?

The enduring results of violence can have a big influence on a girl’s well being and well-being, persisting all through her lifetime. It is related to an elevated threat of accidents, despair, nervousness issues, unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections (together with HIV), and varied different health challenges. The results on mental health are profound, with survivors reporting extreme penalties resembling stress, nervousness, despair, post-traumatic stress dysfunction (PTSD), suicidal ideas, and even makes an attempt at suicide.

It additionally carries essential well being, security, political and financial penalties. This type of violence not solely silences women in online spaces, but in addition diminishes their engagement in public and political life, democratic processes, and management roles. Furthermore, it reinforces patriarchal roles, norms, and buildings, serving as a big impediment to attaining gender equality and the Sustainable Development Goals.

What measures can we take to anticipate and mitigate these dangers?

There is an pressing want to deal with on-line abuse, and to harness the ability of expertise as a power for good. Preventing and addressing Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence necessitates collaborative efforts involving nationwide governments, expertise corporations, digital rights and feminist actions, gender-based violence service suppliers, teachers, and, most significantly, survivors. When creating AI applied sciences, you will need to prioritise range and inclusiveness.

Among others, States are urged to recognise violence in opposition to ladies and women in digital contexts as a human rights violation. States should set up efficient legal guidelines, insurance policies, and regulatory frameworks aligned with current worldwide human rights devices. Simultaneously, expertise corporations ought to undertake a collaborative strategy in crafting digital platforms. Transparency is essential of their deployment of algorithms, content material moderation, insurance policies, and criticism mechanisms, coupled with a dedication to imagine duty for the repercussions stemming from neglecting dangerous content material and the inappropriate utilisation of expertise.