Executive Summary
Context
In Jordan, digital spaces have become a critical avenue for democratic
participation, especially for young women who often face exclusion from
traditional public discourse. With youth internet usage soaring from 11.7% to
87% since 2007, social media offers a platform for political expression, community
building, and access to information. However, these digital spaces have been
infiltrated by patriarchal structures, giving rise to Technology-Facilitated GenderBased Violence (TFGBV), acts that use digital tools to cause physical, psychological,
social, or political harm. This violence is not a minor issue; it is a pervasive threat
that actively undermines the democratic potential of the internet for half the
population.
Objectives
This report, based on extensive mixed-methods research by the Arab Renaissance
for Democracy and Development (ARDD), investigates how TFGBV impacts the
democratic participation of young women in Jordan. It aims to:
•
Examine the nature and manifestations of TFGBV in the Jordanian context.
•
Identify the barriers to reporting and addressing online violence.
•
Analyse the direct link between TFGBV and the suppression of young
women's voices in the public sphere.
Key Findings
•
Significant Prevalence: The scale of TFGBV in Jordan is alarming. 60.4% of
women in Jordan have faced TFGBV (UN Women, 2020), and electronic
violence is the third most common form of violence against women,
with 63.1% of participants in a JNCW study confirming they had
experienced it.
•
The "Chilling Effect" on Participation: TFGBV directly suppresses
democratic engagement. Our survey found that 77.4% of women who
experience online violence respond by self-censoring, anonymizing their
profiles, or withdrawing from platforms entirely to avoid further attacks.
•
Cultural Amplification: TFGBV in Jordan is deeply intertwined with cultural
norms of honor and shame. Perpetrators weaponize the fear of social
stigma and family dishonour to silence women, making the digital sphere
an extension of offline patriarchal control.
•
Severe Offline Consequences: Online violence frequently leads to offline
harm, including psychological trauma, public shaming, strained family
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