The Role of Digital
Technology in GenderBased Violence
Sarra Ben Said, Executive Director of Asswat Nissa,
highlighted that digital platforms have made it
easier for young women to access information about
socio-political events, economics, and culture.
Similarly, Suhair Faraj, Director of (Women and
Media Development TAM), noted that these
platforms allow youth to explore topics often
considered taboo, such as sexuality, love, and
relationships. However, concerns were raised about
potential misinformation spreading on such open
platforms (Asmar, 2020, p. 11).
Despite the access limitations discussed earlier,
digital platforms offer a cost-effective alternative to
traditional campaigning methods, with enhanced
potential for outreach, visibility, and engagement.
Particularly, social media facilitates broader outreach
to the youth and particularly to young women. Sarra
Ben Said highlighted that Asswat Nissa primarily
connects with young people through social media.
“We created an Instagram campaign because this is
where the youth are. These platforms give us more
access to the population with whom we work,
especially women and young women.” (Asmar, 2020,
p. 11).
Digital division continues to face an increase, with
men 21% more likely to be online than women. This
cuts off vital access to services for women and other
marginalized groups. The World Wide Web
Foundation depicts an alarming rise in the rates of
online gender-based violence during the pandemic,
undermining women's access to information,
health, and employment (Ingrid Brudvig, 2023, p.
2). Furthermore, it is a spectrum of harms, including
non-consensual image sharing, online stalking, and
threats – with the possibility of re-victimization
because online content tends to be permanent. The
scale of the problem remains under-documented
and inadequately addressed, with almost no effective
legal response in place. Yet, not many law
enforcement agencies address violence online, either
by viable techniques or in support of a victim.
This evidence gap persists, prompting the Web
Foundation to actively work on bridging it. Their
research reveals that online harassment
disproportionately affects young people and women,
with greater online engagement by women
correlating to increased risks of violence. This can
lead to significant social and economic impacts, as
well as adverse effects on mental health. The
normalization of violence against women in both
media and online platforms is particularly alarming.
(Ingrid Brudvig, 2023, p. 5).
The increasing reliance on Artificial Intelligence for
content moderation has exposed significant
challenges in addressing online harassment and
abuse. For instance, as Morgan Barbour's
Community Standards illustrates, platforms often
struggle to keep up with the volume and complexity
of harmful content, particularly in the absence of
sufficient human oversight (Barbour, 2020). Despite
efforts by tech companies to tackle harassment, their
responses remain inadequate, especially in
combating gender-specific disinformation, which
can undermine women’s democratic participation.
Furthermore, the evidence gap surrounding
technology-facilitated gender-based violence
persists, leaving many victims without effective
reporting mechanisms or support. As technology
becomes increasingly central to everyday life these
ongoing issues underscore the urgent need for more
comprehensive, responsive, and inclusive digital
environments to protect women and marginalized
communities.
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