Digital Spaces Need Safety

The world observes International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women every year on November 25 to raise awareness about widespread gender-based violence, which continues unabated despite intensified efforts by governments and international agencies to end it through stringent laws and policies. The occasion also serves as a reminder of an ongoing global crisis, which remains one of the most prevalent human rights violations, an issue that requires urgent attention and resolute action. This year, the day was marked by the launch of a 16-day campaign themed UNiTE to End Digital Violence against Women and Girls, acknowledging the growing gender-based threat and abuse on online platforms. The campaign is timely and necessary, as incidents of digital violence and online abuse have surged amid advancements in AI technology. Digital abuse includes non-consensual sharing of intimate images, misinformation, defamation, AI-generated sexually explicit images and videos, publishing private information, stalking or online surveillance, cyberbullying, trolling, online threats, sexual harassment, etc. Such acts know no gender, but women are attacked more than men, particularly those with more online visibility like journalists and activists. The shift of abuse into online spaces has posed a presents a new challenge that requires immediate intervention.

As per the United Nations report, nearly one in three women have been subjected to physical or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both, at least once in their life, and one woman or girl is killed every 10 minutes by their intimate partner or family. Nagaland, which takes pride in its low crime rate, particularly violence against women, has also experienced a disturbing surge in such incidents this year, including brutal murders near Pimla village, Thilixu village and Walford in Dimapur, believed to be linked to domestic violence, as well as the recent killing of a 22-year-old woman in Kohima that sparked fear and outrage across the state. The situation in the national arena is even more alarming, with 448,211 cases of crimes against women reported in 2023, according to the latest data from the NCRB. India has a robust legal framework and reporting mechanisms like dedicated helplines in place, but its high crime rate hints at the failure to address the root causes, including social and economic disparity. The rise of digital abuse has worsened the already existing challenges faced by women. Besides timely penalisation of criminals, the governments should end impunity of technology companies, introduce stringent technological regulation and ensure a safe digital space for all, particularly women, children and the more vulnerable. The need of the hour is a collective resolve to ensure that no woman or girl is discriminated against or lives in fear because of gender.