In some cases, where women are pursuing activism in a conservative society and family, the
concept of honour became a hindrance. Honour-related perceptions are long-held beliefs and
practices where a woman's alleged misconduct, especially in public, justifies the use of
physical violence to coerce her from pursuing or challenging gender power relations.
It’s widely reported that many WHRDs in the region have suffered physical violence by family
members for engaging in public pursuits of gender equality in places where norms are
conservative and patriarchal.
In our previous survey, another Syrian WHRD activist described the risk of severe physical
violence:
“I live in a city ruled by armed militia, and the danger for us women activists is huge, because
bullets are the only language to resolve conflicts, the cost of a woman [activist] in the concept
of those militias is one bullet. Moving around the city, especially at night is a huge danger to
us, and the state prevents us from conducting any human rights work because it’s considered
prohibited and unlicensed.”
In most cases, WHRDs who lived and operated in such families, despite the risk involved,
often used the online space to promote their views, organise and connect with other activists
and the public under pseudonyms. Other than the security forces whose efforts focused on
arresting WHRDs whenever they organise some public and peaceful activities, the risk is also
based on the concept of honour where men, even from extended family, feels the obligation
to correct the conduct of women in their families or society. In fact, many WHRDs have been
subjected to such online violence and repeatedly reported this in their encounters with GCHR.
A 2021 study found that most Arab women fear posting their photos online due to
harassment and blackmailing. The study found that young and less-educated women are
more vulnerable to abuse from either social media users or being condemned by their
families. Most women in the study reported encountering sexual harassment online
regardless of their age. Such encounters have several effects, such as lower self-esteem,
hesitancy in seeking a job, feeling mistrust and fear, cynicism, anxiety, depression, and sleep
disorders, all deter women from effectively using social media and push them to more
isolation.
According to the study, digital and psychological violence are one of the main stressors that
face WHRDs in the region. WHRDs reported that they thrived in online spaces and made
strong public influences which also triggered aggressive state crackdowns using sophisticated
surveillance. In addition, many WHRDs faced a backlash from conservative members of their
society and families. WHRDs feared social stigma and familial rejection to the point of being
ostracised for bringing dishonour to their families or societies.
Women often received threats of the use of violence, sexual harassment, legal harassment,
and intimidation. One Saudi WHRD who kept an online blog to document her writings under
her full name was identified by a person from her extended family who posted a serious
threat of tracking her and forced her to take down her blog.
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