Voices from digital spaces: Technology related violence against women

Information communication technologies (ICTs) can be used as a tool to stop violence against women (VAW), but VAW can also be facilitated through the use of ICTs. According to this paper, few women’s rights activists are working in this critical area and, as a consequence, most countries do to have a related political and legal framework. This paper aims to inform women’s rights groups working to end VAW, and stimulate action-oriented policy dialogues to address this new form of VAW.

The document is divided into three parts, the first of which provides introductions to the basic topics covered in this paper and discusses the intersections between ICTs and VAW. The second section is a case study of sexual violence and unauthorised distribution of intimate images of women. The third part contains conclusions and recommendations, which include the following:

– A holistic approach necessary to technology-related VAW, which should be facilitated through dialogue and research with a range of actors and issues. Spaces such as the Internet Governance Forum can provide a good platform for initiating such dialogue at the transnational level.
– Civil society advocacy and initiatives (women's rights organisations and others) are important to ensure that women participate in policy-making dialogues, and that policy and law makers take ICT-related VAW into account.
– There is a scarcity of information on VAW, ICTs and the intersection between them. More systematic documentation of these violations is necessary to identify effective remedies and new policies.
– Making online spaces safer: Internet intermediaries must protect users' rights and create an online culture of zero tolerance to VAW. They should develop corporate policies, practices and tools that respect women's rights, including effective complains mechanisms and technical safety measures to protect personal data.
– Media literacy and empowering women users: Preventing VAW requires changing attitudes and behaviour within society, including work with ICT user communities and potential victims of ICT-related violence.
– The mass media has an important role to play in responding to technology-related violence, especially preventing the secondary victimisation of victims/survivors.
– The role of ICT in supporting victim/survivors of violence: building capacity through support networks, such as MDG3: Take Back the Tech! (a project organised by APC WNSP against gender-based violence), helping local partners to participate in critical international and regional ICT policy-making spaces and engage with their national governments; as well as digital storytelling as a way of assisting victims/survivors in the healing process.