Digital feminist activists have been following closely a campaign to demand clearer and more effective Twitter policies on sexually violent tweets. A number of activists have consistently brought this issue forward following alarming attacks and threats, most recently with Caroline Criado-Perez whose successful campaign to get a woman’s face on British bank notes brought about a wave of violent tweets including rape threats. This seems like rather drastic a reaction. All this hate for having Jane Austen’s face on a ten pound note? Perhaps the issue is less about the topic at hand and more about the misogyny that we allow to prosper in online spheres and offline spheres alike.
The success story of the recent #FBrape campaign, which resulted Facebook including misogynistic hate speech in their reporting policy, indicates that feminist consciousness of online violence against women (VAW) is on the rise, globally. The Change.org petition asking Twitter to add a “report abuse” button to tweets has surpassed 100,000 supporters and the #shoutingback hashtag has taken off with both supporters and reactionaries. The pertinent question today for feminists and their digital allies becomes, “How are we to build advocacy for internet freedom that includes – in its core – the principle of safer spaces for women and girls? How do we work towards an open internet that we want free of censorship and regulation but also free of misogyny, racism, homophobia, and hate speech?”
The Numbers
A 2006 UN report estimated that 95% of aggression and violence online is targeted at women and girls – mostly from intimate partners or ex-partners. APC’s Women’s Rights Program has been dedicated to building technical and policy tools to challenge this violence through platforms like Take Back the Tech! and Exploratory Research on Sexuality and ICTs. A recent global monitoring survey showed that 98% of sexual rights activists find the internet crucial to their work and that 51% of them have received violent and threatening messages. The systemic research as well as the individual cases that rise into the public eye make it clear that we have a gender-based violence problem on the internet that cuts across countries and continents.
That this violence is happening online makes it no different than violence and discrimination that happens everywhere everyday. Feminist work over recent decades gives us two frameworks to analyse why this happens. Patriarchy diligently silences women’s voices because techie spheres are perceived as masculine and it is common to take sexual attacks on women lightly and frame them as humor.
Regulation as Response
On the flipside, governments and policymakers are attempting to address this violence with more regulation, more surveillance and more censorship to ‘protect women and children’ and ‘preserve morality’. When we look at online VAW as an issue of morality, we fail to see to systems that condone and facilitate this behavior and reduce perpetrators of violence to “trolls” or “monsters” as if they are exceptions and not products of misogynistic culture. Yet we know that sweeping regulation is not the answer and that the vulnerability of women and children is used against us all as an excuse to limit government transparency and accountability. We must respond with solutions that are as complex as the problem.
One important element of this complexity is resorting to law and law-enforcement officials to solve the problem, the age-old philosophy of making an example out of someone to deter others from doing the same or making the price for a violation so high (imprisonment, fines) that the expression of misogyny is subdued. While police interference has worked for some women, it is important to situate legal tools as one option and not the option for fighting violence against women online.
Reliance on the private sector to address the problem, as with Facebook’s policy change and Twitter’s report abuse button, also treads in murky waters.
While police officials have held social media platforms responsible for the content they host, it is necessary to remember that private companies are inherently reluctant towards any regulation that limits account usage and demands human hours beyond computer algorithms that screen for content in violation of their policy.
Seeking Justice
So what brings about justice? For different survivors of violence, it is different things: sometimes public or private support from peers and friends is what women seek, sometimes validation that this is unfair and unacceptable, sometimes legal action and compensation, and sometimes the more complex action of public naming and shaming. In the same way that the internet has enabled sexism to flourish under guises of anonymity and ease, it has also enabled women to publicize the names (or handles) of the aggressors and encourage other users to shame them. It’s understandable that women who often see the systems as failing them resort to naming and shaming in an attempt to speak out against violence – but between this tactic and speaking out is a fine line.
The risks are many. For one, most aggressors thrive on public attention and the opportunity to lash out more hatred at more people, unconfined by norms of netiquette or accountability for their words. And in some patriarchal twists of irony, women may find themselves at risk of defamation lawsuits for naming rapists or harassers online without what most courts see as sufficient evidence. When unsupported or adequately thought-out, a well-intended case of naming and shaming may turn into an online witch-hunt and the emotional burden of engaging in online “wars” leads to significant anxiety, fear, and isolation, without doing much to deter users who are comfortable with online aggression.
But still, it is our task as a digital feminist movement to understand women’s choices and strategies without blame and work to enable them with more effective personal and collective tools. It is hard to envision methods that “protect” women and girls online that don’t involve regulation. And so it is perhaps wiser to move away from the protection discourse and further into re-envisioning empowerment online. The fact is, misogynistic attacks are going to be around for a long time – just like racist or homophobic attacks – and we must work towards an internet where these attacks have less of an audience and less of an impact. Here are some strategies we’ve pulled out from years of research and networking meetings with women’s rights and internet rights activists in Africa, Latin America, South and South East Asia, as well as conversations at global and regional spaces like the Internet Governance Forums.
Digital Strategies
We need to promote more tech-savvy internet usage for girls. The better mastering one has over internet tools technically and socially, the less daunting the online threats will feel and the more agency women will have in countering them.
We need more feminist solidarity networks online. The global survey on sexual rights activism showed that the younger the respondent, the more likely they are to have campaigned online as a reaction to regulation or violence: 34% among those younger than 30 years old and 24% for the 30-39 interval. Online campaigning works. It fosters support and validation for women, as well as contributes to a culture that rejects misogyny in the long-term.
We need to recognize misogyny and violence against women as hate speech. Feminist organizations like Women, Action, and the Media are working with Facebook to build on the momentum of the #FBrape campaign. And we need to keep pushing social networks like Twitter to clearly articulate their policies on abusive tweets and illegal activity (such as threats of violence) and uphold them transparently.
We need open internet activists and women’s rights activists to join forces and advocate for more choices for women: resources, toolkits, and success stories break the barriers against silencing online. In our discussions on theoretical frameworks, we need to continue to think about our relationship with law enforcement and company policies beyond a crime and punishment approach and more towards encouraging stakeholders to play different roles in contributing towards an open and safe internet, bridging the gap between the paradox of hate speech vs. freedom of expression online.
The Twitter policy debate sparked a controversial and heavily-critiqued #twittersilence campaign that encouraged users to boycott Twitter in protest, which is in stark contrast of Audre Lorde’s feminist mantra “Your silence will not protect you.” Keep the digital feminist campaigns going, report and map violence against women online, and #TakeBackTwitter.
Illustration by Petesimon
Responses to this post
Eating two yolks every week is the maximum. What if you’re all set for a surfing trip except that you simply have overlooked about one thing- you don’t know how to surf! How will you make that work? Well a few individuals would better get into surf schools first before these people attempt to get to locations with their surfing boards!If you are really good at surfing then there’s no need for a tutoring or refreshment course in surfing anymore. I would give the list of the things that will be needed in this case. These tips are full of advice you can start using today. | Everything You Need To Know About AnythingTons of ladies like carrying a large handbag. I did not mind at all because I do not even commute to the hospital late at night. You should have Wholesale Jerseys Cyber Monday had a tetanus booster immunization within the last 10 years if you have a simple, clean cut, or within the last five years if you have a more complex or dirty cut.Another unique idea to celebrate a birthday is to get into shape.If you are an Actos cancer patient you have all the Jerseys Cyber Monday rights to get compensation for the bodily harm that has been caused to you. A trusted, reputable company will consent to contract terms which help protect the interests of both parties. “Buyers make use of the star ratings to the exclusion of other information,” he said.The Australian authorities ought to accept all the eligible employers. Rust is definitely an inevitability, but you can stave Cyber Monday Wholesale Jerseys them back to get a great although.
Some lawyers also practice international business law which is the practice of law involving corporations located in different countries. Having a good type of software will always give you good results of your work. It all begins with awareness about your self and what you do in your business, and that awareness can actually cause you to implement positive changes for the better. You need to also have an extra and a port in the automobile. In addition a house-like really feel, Kailua Kona vacation NFL Jerseys Cyber Monday houses are also sought right after simply because they are private.There are www.shopnflus.com also risk factors to which women may be particularly susceptible. He writes about various things including made to measure roman blinds. But if you want something really unforgettable, be somewhere you wouldn’t normally be. Most of them come with a built-in radio and the lights are LED lights. If they could possibly obtain the right information regarding fine coffee, then they possibly would quit drinking any other coffee Some individuals drink coffee anywhere they could get it for inexpensive and it likewise depends on the benefit Cheap Jerseys Cyber Monday of obtaining it. It’s always good to know the allergy and try to avoid the allergen.9 × 103. This is a way to prepare your skin so that the tanning product can work most efficiently.
Just like a classic business, it requires time to make up a name. Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency to be developed, and it serves as an alternative to national currency for personal transactions over the Internet. They have been voted the best Parker County Locksmith, Best Aledo Locksmith, and best Weatherford Locksmith for the past seven years.com. This is enough to ruin anyones day and the inconvenience and hassle that is causes can take valuable time out of a busy lifestyle.These nations though they might perceive the actual need of divorce are just not proficient toward the effect of some severe truths experienced by some individuals within the conjugal partnership. These visitors, usually go to a motel, because these are much cheaper, and offer the same amenities at the big hotels.This increases demand from investors who want Nike Jonathan Cooper Cardinals Jersey to take advantage of this low price to amass as much of the product as they can. Stay consistent with your fonts.An underactive thyroid is often known as hypothyroidism. If you can leave the table altogether, do so just to unwind and take a break. Another factor that leads to an increase in gas prices is the growing number of taxes on imported gas set in numerous countries.Miami Dolphins, NFL Football TeamThe Miami Dolphins of the NFL are the oldest Nike Limited Jasper Brinkley Jersey major league sports team in Miami, and have Nike Limited Tyrann Mathieu Jersey enjoyed tremendous levels of success during their history.
You dont want to get stuck with a contractor because you accepted a consultation, many contractors have their own agreements regarding this; as long as it doesnt conflict with the project the contractor should be willing to sign yours. The conservatory also offers three seasonal shows throughout the year. This allows you to enjoy a golden color that lasts much longer. Let her carry a beautiful bouquet or throw flower pedals down the aisle as she walks, which is usually the tradition of her role. This is when a quick personal loan can be very helpful, even working to the point that it singlehandedly lifts someone up from a very problematic and stressful situation. A Computerized Wheel Aligner proves to be very helpful in determining Vehicle Wheel Alignment as it helps in: -Examination of the car for damaged or worn-out parts, if anyMeasurement of the cars angles and current alignment by placing an electronic Authentic Manny Ramirez Jersey sensor on every wheelUse of infrared beams by the sensors to find out the angle of each Wheel and check Nike Authentic Terrell Davis Jersey in which direction the Nike Limited Peyton Manning Jersey Wheels are pointingTransmission of information by the sensors to the computer console of the AlignerFurnishing the correct measurements to the mechanicBenefits Of Proper Wheel AlignmentReduced Wear In Tires:A Wheel Aligned correctly reduces the need to replace the tires frequently. You should, however, consider waiting rather than going with an unknown contractor and risking problems. Pediatric Occupational Therapists Cooperate In Youngsters To Deal With Certain Difficulties Involving Movement And Coordination As Well As Cognitive Functions. Products other than toilet paper can easily cause a clog. Like other commodities, it is one of the major items in which people deal with in financial markets. You will have to take the trouble of buying the right packing materials. Every professional wants to continue in his printing technique and perfect it. There is a large Parisian feel to some parts of Santiago due to the educating of important Chileans for some many centuries.
So the primary reason subliminal messages are so influential, is because they bypass the critical filtering aspects of the conscious mind. So, if you are planning to invest in these systems for protecting your workplace or home, it is advisable to look out for authentic manufacturers that would Dan Koppen Broncos Jersey offer top-of-the-line surveillance removable security systems, as well as, custom-built wireless systems to fulfill the necessary purposes.Obtain various different resumes from several different solar panel installation contractors at the beginning of your search.Selecting a roofing repair contractor should fall on a few different bases. What to Look for in a Superior Bassinet The identical three universal requirements utilize when you begin looking for a bassinet of your individual: dimensions, high quality, and design and style. These employees should have exhibited remarkable job performance in the workplace and have contributed significantly in the ongoing success of the organization. Get out that pencil and paper, because you’re Game Knowshon Moreno Broncos Jersey going to need to write this stuff down. These days the Nike Authentic Steve Atwater Jersey trend of being zero size and showing off hot attractive bodies is rising in US and Europe.This is because of the realisation that motivated individuals are more productive than sad and tired people. You can design shoes for special occasions like weddings or Halloween. In searching, its important to provide the full name, sex and age of the person youre after. 2. When interviewing plumbing repair contractors ask how often they complete a job in the time frame they agreed on.
- Add new comment
- 19138 views
Add new comment