We live in a world, where offline and online realities have become interconnected, our relationships and actions in an analog context are part of the same reality of digital actions and relationships.
Gender-based online violence has grown in the same way as the use of digital technologies has broadened, Internet and social networks are part of our every day life, together with new-masculinities and, in some parts, organized online.
Technology-facilitated gender-based violence is a global phenomenon that violates women’s and girls’ international human rights.
The numbers speak a clear language
- An average 10% of women active on the Internet, is affected by gender-based online violence.
- But, 6 in 10 women in leadership roles active on Internet suffer gender-based online violence.
- And, it’s absolutely under-reported, a UN study found that only 1 in 4 women affected, files a report.
The nature of digital communication itself causes problems. In many cases, there’s a permanent digital record of the abusive content, that may be accessible worldwide. This is particularly relevant when talking about private images shared without permission. Although, the original source may have been deleted, there can be copies still be available online. This leaves the victim-survivor at perpetual risk of future abuse.
This is particularly relevant when private images or information has been shared online in harmful ways, because even if the original source of the information is deleted, copies of the information may have been downloaded and can be redistributed at any time.
At the Punt TIC network, we have identified the need of a shared framework of support for e-facilitators and organizations, that helps them to support an assess victims of online violence in the best possible way.
We’ve joined an inter-departmental working group about gender-based online violence, a joint effort of the Catalan Government and different local administrations, as the Departments of Education, Social Security, Health Services and the Police.
This working groups identified a very important need about how to identify, collect and preserve evidence on online violence, in a world of complex digital technologies changing and evolving everyday.
Main goal of the working group is to produce a comprehensive guideline about evidence collection and preservation, that also will include extensive references to competent private and public institution providing assessment and help to women affected by online violence.
Internet is an essential part of our everyday life. We need Internet to be a creative, innovative and safe space for everybody! Let’s build a safer Internet together!
You want to know more about the projecte? Contact us at oficina.tecnica@punttic.cat!