Category Archives: Global

The Chilling: Global trends in online violence against women journalists – UNESCO

A pioneering UNESCO discussion paper points to a sharp increase in online violence against women journalists and reveals how these attacks are now inextricably bound up with disinformation, intersectional discrimination, and populist politics. 

The Chilling: Global trends in online violence against women journalists presents an edited extract from a forthcoming interdisciplinary study carried out by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ). The first of its kind in terms of its scope and methodology, it is based on a global survey of 901 journalists from 125 countries; long-form interviews with 173 journalists and experts; two big data case studies assessing over 2.5 million social media posts directed at prominent journalists Maria Ressa (The Philippines – laureate of the 2021 Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize) and Carole Cadwalladr (UK); 15 detailed country case studies; and a literature review covering hundreds of scholarly and civil society research publications.

The discussion paper provides hard facts and detailed analysis on the following key findings:

  • Online attacks have real-life impacts. Not only do they affect mental health and productivity, but physical attacks and legal harassment are increasingly seeded online.
  • Misogyny intersects with other forms of discrimination. Women journalists who are also disadvantaged by racism, homophobia, religious bigotry and other forms of discrimination face additional exposure to online attacks, with worse impacts.
  • Gendered online violence intersects with disinformation. While orchestrated disinformation campaigns weaponise misogyny to chill critical reporting, reporting on disinformation can be a trigger for heightened attacks.
  • Online attacks against women journalists have political motives. Political actors, extremist networks and partisan media are identified as instigators and amplifiers of online violence against women journalists.
  • Social media platforms and news organisations are still struggling to respond effectively. In the context of an increasingly toxic information ecosystem, platforms are seen as major enablers for online violence. When women journalists turn to them or their employers in the midst of an online violence storm, they often fail to receive effective responses and even face victim-blaming behaviour.

A team of 23 international researchers from 16 countries, led by Julie Posetti, Nabeelah Shabbir, Diana Maynard, Kalina Bontcheva and Nermine Aboulez, contributed to the study.

More details at https://en.unesco.org/publications/thechilling

November 8, 2022

Istanbul Convention finally comes into force – but the Government stops short of protecting all women – AI UK

  • Earlier this year the UK ratified the ‘gold standard’ convention to prevent and combat violence against women and girls and domestic violence
  • However, the Government has reserved article 59 of the treaty opting out of protecting migrant women
  • ‘The Government must immediately remove the reservation to this article and provide equal protection for every woman in need, irrespective of migration status’ – Sacha Deshmukh

Responding to the UK’s ratification of the Istanbul Convention coming into force today (1 November), Sacha Deshmukh, Chief Executive at Amnesty International UK, said:

“Amnesty welcomes the Istanbul Convention finally coming into force in the UK, but let’s not kid ourselves that the Government has done enough to protect women from domestic violence.

“By quietly reserving article 59 of the treaty, the Government is still failing some of the most vulnerable women living in this country: migrant women.

“Not being obliged to provide support and protection to migrant women effectively reinforces the two-tier system of support for victims, as some remain discriminated against because of their migration status.

“The Government must immediately remove the reservation to this article and provide equal protection for every woman in need.

“All women, regardless of where they come from, deserve protection against violence.”

UK’s ratification: Too little too late?

Earlier this year the UK ratified the Istanbul Convention, which entered into force  on 1st November 2022.

However, the Government reserved article 59 which sets out state obligations to provide protection to migrant women. By doing so the Government is also acting against one of the main principles of the convention which requires countries to implement its provisions without discrimination on any grounds, to ensure no one is left behind.

The Government’s motivation for this was allegedly to wait on evidence arising from its Support for Migrant Women pilot which concluded in the summer.

The pilot scheme was set up as part of the Domestic Abuse Act to provide support and gather evidence on needs for women with no recourse to public funds (NRPF), even though specialist domestic violence services have highlighted the discrimination faced by victims with NRPF for decades.

The limited length and resources of the pilot – £1.4 million to cover one year – was not adequate to provide support for all the women requiring assistance. According to specialist domestic violence service Southall Black Sisters £1.4m would only support around 500 women for 3 months, each over a one-year period – meaning many women would continue to be excluded from protection and crisis support.

Amnesty is calling on the Government to remove the reservation to article 59 and provide equal protection for all women irrespective of migration status immediately.

https://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/uk-istanbul-convention-finally-comes-force-government-stops-short-protecting-all

 

November 1, 2022

Sexual exploitation and abuse in the aid sector – Report published- International Development Committee

This Committee agreed early in this Parliament to draw up a comprehensive re-examination of progress taken to tackle sexual exploitation and abuse in the aid sector.

Our focus is the aid recipients who become victims and survivors of abuse at the hands of individuals working in the sector. This inquiry will consider the support needed by victims and survivors to secure justice and rebuild their lives when they have experienced abuse, what can be done to change the culture in the aid sector to prevent it from occurring in the first place, and how the new Foreign Affairs and Development Office (FCDO) should take this work forward.

In its report, Progress on tackling the sexual exploitation and abuse of aid beneficiaries, the International Development Committee (IDC) finds that sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) is still happening in the sector.

This is supported by a unique survey by the IDC where 73% of respondents believe there remains a problem with SEA being perpetrated by aid workers. This is likely to have been made significantly worse with the coronavirus pandemic, with reductions in aid and food supplies making female beneficiaries more vulnerable to exploitation. Further, perpetrators are continuing to move from organisation to organisation with impunity.

https://committees.parliament.uk/work/428/sexual-exploitation-and-abuse-in-the-aid-sector-next-steps/


Seventh Report – Progress on tackling the sexual exploitation and abuse of aid beneficiaries

https://committees.parliament.uk/work/428/sexual-exploitation-and-abuse-in-the-aid-sector-next-steps/publications/

 

January 21, 2021

Abuse and harassment driving girls off Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – Plan International

Largest ever global survey on online violence shows that one in five girls (19%) have left or significantly reduced use of a social media platform after being harassed, while another one in ten (12%) have changed the way they express themselves.

Girls and young women worldwide are demanding urgent action from social media companies after a landmark survey has revealed more than half (58%) have been harassed or abused online.

Attacks are most common on Facebook, where 39% say they have suffered harassment, but occur on every platform included in the global study including Instagram (23%), WhatsApp (14%), Snapchat (10%), Twitter (9%) and TikTok (6%).

Our latest research is based on a survey of 14,000 girls aged 15-25 in 22 countries, including Brazil, Benin, the USA and India, and a series of in-depth interviews.

Girls receive explicit messages

The largest study of its kind, it found girls who use social media in high and low-income countries alike are routinely subjected to explicit messages, pornographic photos, cyberstalking and other distressing forms of abuse, and reporting tools are ineffective in stopping it.

Online violence has led to nearly one in five (19%) of those who have been harassed stopping or significantly reducing their use of the platform on which it happened, while another one in ten (12%) have changed the way they express themselves.

Abuse also damages girls’ lives offline, with one in five (22%) of those surveyed saying they or a friend have been left fearing for their physical safety, while 44% say social media companies need to do more to protect them.

Social media is a significant part of girls’ lives

The most common type of attack is abusive and insulting language, reported by 59% of girls who have been harassed, followed by purposeful embarrassment (41%), body shaming and threats of sexual violence (both 39%).

More than a third (37%) of girls who are from an ethnic minority and have suffered abuse say they are targeted because of their race or ethnicity, while more than half (56%) of those who identify as LGBTIQ+ say they are harassed because of their gender identity or sexual orientation.

The report – titled Free to be online? Girls’ and young women’s experiences of online harassment – found that social media is a significant part of young people’s lives and is widely used for activism, entertainment, to learn and to keep in touch with friends and family.

Three-quarters (74%) of those surveyed say they post frequently or very frequently, while interviews suggest that COVID-19 has made being online even more important.

However, this leaves girls vulnerable to new forms of abuse, with 50% saying online harassment is more common than street harassment.

Girls are calling for action to end online abuse

The research was carried out as part of Girls Get Equal, Plan International’s global campaign for a world where girls and young women have the power to be leaders and shape the world around them.

As part of the campaign, girls around the world have written an open letter(*) to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter calling on them to create stronger and more effective ways to report abuse and harassment.

Plan International is also asking governments worldwide to implement specific laws to deal with online gender-based violence and ensure girls who suffer it have access to justice.

Part of a longer press release at https://plan-international.org/news/2020-10-05-abuse-and-harassment-driving-girls-facebook-instagram-and-twitter

(*) You can sign the open letter at https://plan-international.org/sign-the-letter

October 6, 2020

19 August 2020 – Submit Evidence to Sexual exploitation and abuse in the aid sector: next steps – International Development Committee Inquiry

This Committee agreed early in this Parliament to draw up a comprehensive re-examination of progress taken to tackle sexual exploitation and abuse in the aid sector. Our focus is the aid recipients who become victims and survivors of abuse at the hands of individuals working in the sector. This inquiry will consider the support needed by victims and survivors to secure justice and rebuild their lives when they have experienced abuse, what can be done to change the culture in the aid sector to prevent it from occurring in the first place, and how the new Foreign Affairs and Development Office (FCDO) should take this work forward.

Terms of Reference: Sexual exploitation and abuse in the aid sector: next steps

This inquiry is currently accepting evidence

The committee wants to hear your views. We welcome submissions from anyone with answers to the questions in the call for evidence. You can submit evidence until Wednesday 19 August 2020.

Read the call for evidence https://committees.parliament.uk/work/428/sexual-exploitation-and-abuse-in-the-aid-sector-next-steps/

July 20, 2020