How men can help curb online gender-based violence
Men have a critical role to play in ending online gender-based violence (GBV), according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
What you need to know:
- UN Women indicates that globally, between 16 and 58 per cent of women have experienced this type of violence.
- There are far-reaching impacts of such acts on women; they may choose to silence their opinion or shun social media altogether for fear of being victimised.
Men have a critical role to play in ending online gender-based violence (GBV). This was the predominant message by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in a recently concluded Twitter Space on bodily autonomy.
Onyango Otieno, a healthy masculinity ambassador and mental health advocate, reflected on the numerous times he had been trolled, more so on Twitter. He admitted that cyberbullying has adverse impacts on the mental wellbeing of users and requires one to have a supportive community to keep going.
Research has shown that women are more likely than men to be targeted by online bullies. UN Women indicates that globally, between 16 and 58 per cent of women have experienced this type of violence. There are far-reaching impacts on women; they may choose to silence their opinion or shun social media altogether for fear of being victimised.
Jeffrey Shihembetsa, a digital media creative, observed that the culture of online violence has become entrenched in the country, more so on platforms like Twitter, which was alienating particular groups such as women.
“There are people who wake up and choose violence, as we call it, because they enjoy causing others harm.”
His observations are supported by a recent study, Feminist Perspectives on Social Media Governance, which found that in the past decade there has been a steady rise in the amount of extreme content on online platforms in the form of cyberstalking, bullying, harassment, hate speech, disinformation, and propaganda.
“When online violence negatively affects women’s mental health, the power of perpetrators becomes further entrenched. Little progress has been made on regulating and filtering inappropriate content, such as hate speech, to help prevent harmful interactions and foster a healthy space for women on these platforms.”
A different study, Monetised Misogyny, also found that offline GBV has moved to online spaces with vocal women (politicians, human rights activists and journalists) bearing the brunt of the vice.
“Harmful narratives are boosted and amplified through algorithms that make such content sticky and often viral.”
Mr Shihembetsa reckoned that by speaking out, educating one another, holding others accountable, and advocating for change, men can help create a safer and more equitable online world for everyone.
“When you come across online violence, instead of laughing offline or re-sharing the harmful content, report it, because oppressive language and behavior only manifests more when enabled.”
Also read: How to protect yourself from online violence
Bravin Yuri, a mental health advocate who has experienced his share of trolling, urged individuals to be cautious when calling out trolls.
“Do not quote that tweet because that way you are promoting the tweet to reach an even wider audience. Instead take a screenshot and challenge the perpetrator.”
Lack of policies
The Feminist study findings also showed that the Global South, in particular, suffers nonexistent or incomplete policies, calling for an urgent need for social media governance to address emerging online gender discrepancies.
“The regulators, in this case lawmakers and implementers, are outpaced by the swiftly moving technological advancements that propel digital platforms.”
Mugambi Laibuta, an advocate of the High Court, says the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, 2018, remains vague on what encompasses cyber harassment.
"The same gaps apply to the sharing of non-consensual images which because of its broadness has to be left to the interpretation of the courts. And as such it makes it difficult for those reporting because again it is left to the police to make a finding that you have experienced it."
To him, having more resolved cases lead to the awarding of damages for the survivors may serve as a deterrent.
For his part, Mr Yuri called out brands that partner with known cyberbullies for inadvertently promoting the vice. With the advancement of Artificial Intelligence, he said that in an environment without clear regulatory policies, online violence may increase. Still, he remained confident that the correct usage of AI can resolve many of the challenges like monitoring harmful content.
He added: “Another strategy that can be implemented is educating masses on alternative mechanisms of conflict resolution so that individuals do not feel the need to resort to revenge online.”
Mr Laibuta called on stakeholders to strengthen their engagement with various platforms to hold them accountable, saying the burden of moderating content and lifting the veil of anonymous accounts propagating cyberbullying lies with them.
