DW Akademie Study Safer platforms, stronger participation
and youth FGDs similarly reinforced low expectations of
follow-up in practice, with participants stating that reporting does not lead to meaningful response and questioning
what happens after a report is submitted. Journalist IDIs
also illustrated how impunity is reinforced operationally:
participants described difficulties in identifying the owners of defamatory pages and the limited effectiveness of
action against anonymous or coordinated attackers.
these strategies can provide short-term protection, participants and professionals also linked them to a longerterm consequence: women’s exclusion from public debate
and reduced civic participation, which further entrenches
impunity by reducing the likelihood of collective challenge
and accountability.
This finding underscores that GBVO cannot be effectively
addressed without strengthening institutional accountability and shifting responses from reactive, individual
coping to proactive, systemic protection.
Together, these accounts substantiate the statement that
legal gaps, low prioritization, and limited capacity are not
abstract conditions but experienced realities that shape
behavior. Survivors’ and professionals’ reporting decisions
reflect a rational calculation: if perpetrators are anonymous, procedures are unclear, privacy cannot be guaranteed, and outcomes are unlikely, then reporting becomes
both risky and low return, reinforcing the perception that
GBVO will continue without consequences.
4.8 Role of media
in perpetuating and
countering GBVO
4.7.3 Community responses and
coping strategies
Community responses that encourage silence or
self-protection further entrench this impunity by reinforcing
individual responsibility rather than collective accountability. As a result, coping strategies tend to focus on withdrawal or retreat into closed networks, which may provide
short-term safety but contribute to long-term exclusion,
often in ways that prioritize reputation management over
accountability. This is evidenced in FGDs where participants described social guidance that normalizes silence
and withdrawal, such as discouraging women from speaking publicly to avoid further harm, and framing disengagement as the safest option rather than confronting perpetrators or seeking formal remedies. The previously reported
findings above also illustrate this dynamic through survivors’ selective disclosure: some women reported telling
only a trusted person (e.g., spouse) while avoiding wider
sharing due to anticipated stigma, while other accounts
noted that discussing cyberbullying with family/friends can
itself produce social pressure or judgement.
Across KIIs, IDIs, and FGDs, media was described as a
central arena where GBVO becomes visible, escalates,
and is socially interpreted. Participants discussed “media”
broadly, covering news outlets, alternative media, public pages, and platform-linked media spaces where
comments circulate, highlighting that editorial choices,
moderation practices, and the way incidents are framed
can either reinforce harmful norms or create conditions
for accountability and safer participation. This dual role
matters because survivors’ exposure is often mediated
through public-facing media spaces, while survivors’
options for redress and public understanding are shaped
by how media institutions respond.
4.8.1 Media as amplifier and potential
counterweight
Participants provided concrete examples of how media
can amplify GBVO when spaces are left unmoderated or
when safeguards are absent. A media professional noted
directly that:
Media platforms sometimes allow abusive
comments to stay.
These community dynamics shape coping strategies.
Rather than encouraging formal reporting or collective
action, many responses implicitly place responsibility on
the survivor to reduce risk — through silence, self-protection, or reputation containment. As a result, coping strategies described across the reporting section and related
KIIs/IDIs tend to focus on withdrawal from public-facing
spaces, limiting visibility, or retreating into trusted circles
and like-minded networks for safety and support. While
KII — Media professional
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