Speakers at a workshop in Dhaka on Monday said that widespread use of the internet and smartphones led to significant advancements in women鈥檚 education and employment opportunities, along with the creation of new income sources.
This progress, however, has also brought a troubling downside, with a notable rise in online sexual harassment and violence against women facilitated by internet and mobile technologies, they said at the workshop titled Combating Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence at the NGO Forum for Public Health at Lalmatia, said a press release.
Research-based advocacy organisation Voices for Interactive Choice and Empowerment organised the workshop under the Promoting Women鈥檚 Equality and Rights project.
Journalists, civil society representatives, human rights activists, academicians, and representatives from organisations provided legal support to victims participating in the workshop.
Mohaiminul Islam, additional superintendent of police, Cyber Investigation and Operation, Criminal Investigation Department, said that conducting a case investigation involveed multiple steps and barriers, including confiscating the device, sending it for forensic analysis, and contacting platforms like Facebook.
鈥楿nfortunately, many of the cases we handle are just the tip of the iceberg, as thousands go unreported,鈥� he added. 聽
Supreme Court advocate Shah Navila Kashphi said, 鈥楢lthough victims file cases, at one point they end up settling with the perpetrator and withdraw the case. So despite having noble intentions, the lawyers struggle to fight for justice.鈥�
Daily Amar Desh deputy editor Sultan Mahmud stressed on building capacity of journalists so that they could develop reports on TFGBV aligning with principals of gender sensitivity and human rights.
Underscoring the crucial need for women to acquire knowledge and skills to safeguard their online security, Ahmed Swapan Mahmud, executive director of VOICE, said that it was vital to prioritise training for female human rights activists and journalists in digital security.
鈥楾he training should cover areas such as protecting personal information, securing online accounts, and identifying and preventing online threats,鈥� he stated.
He, furthermore, highlighted the importance of creating platforms where women can openly share their experiences, fostering stronger solidarity and empowering them to resist digital violence.
VOICE deputy director Musharrat Mahera pointed out that a lack of awareness, deeply ingrained patriarchal attitudes, and the absence of digital literacy were major barriers to tackling cybercrime against women. 鈥極nline violence is often dismissed due to gender biases and patriarchal mind-sets, allowing perpetrators to go unpunished and perpetuating the cycle of violence. Additionally, media content frequently lacks gender sensitivity.鈥�
Certain cybercrimes disproportionately affect women, including stalking, hate speech, morphing, 鈥攁ltering a woman鈥檚 photo, creating fake profiles, or sending sexually explicit messages鈥� email hacking, sharing intimate photos, blackmail, threats, impersonation or catfishing, and doxxing.
To address the issue of online harassment, the Police Cyber Support for Women programme was launched in 2020. By May 2024, 60,808 women had sought assistance for cybercrimes. Among these victims, 41 per cent had experienced doxxing, 18 per cent had their Facebook accounts hacked, 17 per cent were victims of blackmail, 9 per cent were impersonated, and 8 per cent faced issues related to cyber bullying, mentioned the press release. 聽
Trishia Nashtaran, founder and co-ordinator of the Meye Network, Sharaban Tahura, adviser of Nijera Kori, and national minority rights activist Dalia Chakma, among others, spoke at the workshop.