Report on Online Women Violence and Awareness of

Social Media APrIGF 2016

Program: Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum (APrIGF) 2016
Session: WS.69 Online women violence and awareness of Social Media
Date: 28 July, 2016
Time: 16:00 to 17:30
Speakers:
Moderator
Sajina Karki (Nepal)

Speaker
Gwenthy
Wang(Taiwan)

Speaker
Noelle de
Guzman
(Philippines )

Speaker
Nayantara
Ranganathan(India)

Speaker
Shreedeep
Rayamajhi (Nepal)

The session started with brief introduction to real time situation of Nepal and how the women of Nepal
were adapting the concept of Online Violence against Women (OVAW). The moderator highlighted the
current scenario of women in Nepal and how they are currently adapting the socio-cultural status.
Looking at the status of women in South East Asia, women are treated as the second grade citizen
where their rights and status is questionable in every aspect of their identity. Karki also highlighted the
major challenge of women empowerment and leadership in Asia to be education and awareness. She
also shared, in most of the case scenarios of OVAW, women are not even aware of their own rights. In
such situations these cases go unreported. Whether its about fake profile, revenge porn or cyber
bullying when few of these cases get registered due to lack of proper training and knowledge the law
enforcing agencies lack to address the proper issues where the victims suffer more.

73% of women have already been exposed to or have experienced some form of online
violence.
The sheer volume of cyber VAWG has severe social and economic implications for womens status
on the Internet. Threats of rape, death, and stalking put a premium on womens emotional
bandwidth, take-up time and financial resources including legal fees, online protection services, and
missed wages. Cyber VAWG can have a profoundly chilling effect on free speech and advocacy.

Women aged 18 to 24 are at a heightened risk of being exposed to every kind of cyber VAWG; they
are uniquely likely to experience stalking and sexual harassment, while also not escaping the high
rates of other types of harassment common to young people in general, like physical threats.
The WWW Foundation has found that law enforcement agencies and the courts are failing to take
appropriate actions for cyber VAWG in 74% of 86 countries surveyed.
Though the cyber law is present but due to lack of proper monitoring and updates, it serves little use in
protecting users online. Internet provides easy accessibility and other facilities but at the same time
technology also threats the communities in lack of proper mechanism and policies which needs to be
researched and worked on.
Gwenthy Wang, highlighted on the current trends and challenges of social media in the Taiwan society.
Talking more about the OVAW, 72% of revenge porn victims were women aged 21-35, 6% were
underage with the youngest victim being 12 years, 61% of the images were obtained illegally
24% of victims were blackmailed by people who held their images and another 24% were threatened by
ex-partners. Images were posted on porn Web sites, shared via communication apps (LINE) or social
media (Facebook) 40% of victims have taken legal action; 44% reported unpleasant experience when
seeking legal assistance from government. Currently Taiwan adopts Criminal Code Ch. 16-1, Offense
against Morality of Article 235 to punish revenge porn.
Similarly, sharing more ideas about Philippines Noelle de Guzman said Philippines has more issues of
OVAW cases growing where not just normal women but celebrates are targeted. Despite a high rate of
education among women more women are being victimized and bound to suffer the consequences. A
heightened awareness program is needed to combat the OVAW.
Talking more about the work done by internet society, she said Internet Society has been lobbying issue
of women empowerment and leadership. We have been more focused in area of open standards where
women awareness and capacity building is a must.
Nayantara Ranganathan, said, The misuse of rapid advances in Information Technology (IT) and
telephony has resulted in new and varied forms of sexual abuse such as cybercrimes and harassment of
women through mobiles and Internet. The regulatory frameworks are not in pace with the growth in
technology as yet. With technological advancement, there has been incidence of frauds, misuse of
information uploaded on the cyberspace and hence there is a need for developing protective measures
for citizens keeping in view that victims of such frauds are largely women.

Speaking more about OVAW, Shreedeep Rayamajhi expressed that in least developed and
developing countries, the main problem with OVAW is lack of awareness and the peoples attitude
towards the issue. Especially due to lack of clear and adequate law and polices, in most case victims
are more victimized.
In a country like Nepal where women are marginalized they have no or less knowledge about their
own rights and problems. Similarly, these case many times get ignored in view of adequate law and
policy. So, if women get the proper education and are empowered, they will themselves be aware
and can fight for their rights. The country like Nepal is in dire need of proper and clear Law that

deals with cyber violence where till now the cases are dealt with Electronic Transaction Act and
Defamation Act.
Apart from this, various examples were shared in the session: Quandeel Baloch, #Iamtrolledhelp,
Sunflower Movement etc.
Many ideas and thought of schools have been poured in but an interesting aspect of the session was the
ideology of women being against various aspect of the socio cultural practice. Likewise, it also highlights
the contemporary practice of male dominated society which needs to settle down with effective women
position strategy and leadership opportunities as well as the need of right knowledge of sex education in
terms of gender equality.
Comment
Raj Singh making a comment to Sajina Karkis statement of women having second grade citizen he said
boys/men need to be taught morale lesson of respecting girls/women. They need to be taught the basic
of equality and especially in schools and colleges they should be given the morale values of equality.
Honor killing has been popular in South East Asia due to the prejudices values and orthodox mentality
which further violates the womens rights. Some of the examples: #Quandeel Baloch (Pakistan),
#Priyanka Karki (Nepal), #Iamtrolledhelp (India), #Sunflower Movement (Taiwan)

Recommendations:
1. Further aggressive awareness campaigns are needed in terms of Online VAW
2. Counselling call centers must be opened
3. No tolerance in terms of policy and action mechanism is needed
4. Women are unaware of their basic rights in the developing countries so more focus needed in
that segment
5. Effective policing and immediate action mechanism should be set-up
6. Social media intervention is highly recommended
7. Special awareness packages for Men is needed
8. Online research and surveys are required
9. Proper sex education with gender equality knowledge