Gender inequality in cyberspace is called cyberviolence

 

Nisaa FM: - You might not have heard this term before, but cyberviolence is becoming an increasingly big problem. The increasing reach of the internet, the rapid spread of mobile information, and the widespread use of social media, coupled with the existing pandemic of violence against women and girls, has led to the emergence of cyberviolence as a growing global problem with potentially significant economic and societal consequences.

With new technologies come new opportunities to connect with people, access information, and pursue education and employment. These are valuable assets especially for women and girls for whom these activities may otherwise be limited. Globally, 830 million young people are now online, with rich opportunities for new forms of commerce, learning and communication.

Yet just like the real world, the online world can be unsafe for women and girls. Hence, UN Women has put focus on cyberviolence during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, which was started on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on November 25. UN Women Executive Director, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, has addressed the issue in her blog at www.unwomen.org. 

 

The online world can be unsafe for women and girls

From abusive online comments and cyber-harassment to the perpetuation of harmful stereotypes through social media and online imagery, new types of violence have flourished in this little-regulated environment, arising from the same biases and imbalances that generate violence in the real world. Accountability is even harder to enforce when there is little privacy and when online perpetrators have the advantages of anonymity.

Insufficient attention has been paid to the power and influence of negative images of women and girls. UN Women ran a campaign in 2013 that revealed a shocking degree of negative stereotyping, showing how the entry “Women should…” triggered the autocomplete phrases “stay at home”, “be slaves” and “be in the kitchen” from the collective resources online.

Gender inequality in the online community is reinforced by what is seen elsewhere onscreen, in the cinemas and on television. Women represented in all types of media tend to talk less than men, give fewer opinions, and they are far less likely, in the entertainment industry, to play roles as leaders or professionals, or even as women who work for a living. And 2017 research on advertising found that women consistently accounted for only about one third of all characters in commercials, across all years tested. This relentless onslaught of negative stereotyping and the diminishing of the space women occupy in society is deeply unhealthy.

 

Using technology as a vehicle for political participation

The same resources, used differently, can bring essential change. Technology can also be a vehicle for political participation, social mobilization and challenging stereotypes. Representing women and girls in empowering, accurate and diverse ways can transform attitudes and behaviours.

Role models matter. For example, a recent study showed how the onscreen characters Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games and Merida from Brave had inspired girls across America to take up archery with the number participating in national competitions doubling between 2012 and 2016.

Harnessing the power of the media and the internet, it is possible to construct a different future. UN Women is working on reaching the more-than 2.5 billion people around the world who play online or video games, and cultivate a critical shift for gender equality in cyberspace. UN Women has also partnered with industry to launch the Unstereotype Alliance – changing negative gender stereotypes in advertising campaigns.

Source: www.unwomen.org