Social media has become a hotbed of online violence against women involving hateful words directed at women candidates and activists. Users are exposed to a variety of insults, from attacks on childless women to inappropriate comments about candidates’ physical appearance.
These sexist and derogatory comments transcend political affiliation and disrupt policy discussions that affect voters.
Online violence against women is not a temporary problem but a systemic problem designed to undermine democratic processes and human security around the world. The consequences extend to the election season, posing a serious threat to global democracy.
The Importance of Women in Politics
Studies have shown that increasing the number of women in politics brings positive results for all citizens.
For example, UN Women said that in India, the areas that have led by women councils saw a 62% increase in drinking water services compared to those led by men. This is being observed all over the world, showing the positive results of different regimes.
Many are withdrawing from political participation despite the clear benefits of women’s involvement. The main reason cited for preventing this is the constant cyber-bullying women face on social media. The issue comes to a head during elections when campaigns to raise awareness of gender-based violence are ramping up.
Strategic Situation of Cyber Attacks
Online violence against women in politics goes beyond traditional insults. State and non-state actors who oppose women’s rights use technology and platforms to target and marginalize individual women and their organizations.
The violence aims to empower the community and prevent women and girls from participating in politics for fear of harming themselves or their families.
The advent of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) has exacerbated the problem by enabling the massive, artificial generation of fake images of female targets. In addition, AI-powered bots are used to amplify fake messages, increasing the reach and impact of these campaigns.
Incompatibility with Women
In addition, research shows that female politicians face higher risks and higher levels of violence compared to their male counterparts, who are already the majority in elected chambers around the world.
When people try to address online violence against women, they are often dismissed, told that such support is an inevitable consequence of entering the political arena, which is seen as a male-dominated space.
Addressing the Issue
Organizations around the world have begun to raise awareness of the problem, which has led to the recognition of governments and the private sector. Our Secure Future, based in the United States, has developed the director emphasizing the need for technology companies and public actors to address online tensions, with a particular focus on gender.
“It is the responsibility of technology companies and government actors to combat online propaganda, but gender trends are unknown. It is important that a gender lens be included in such efforts to better understand the nature of propaganda and its various consequences,” according to the book Our Secure. Future.
Our Secure Future also shares that women are driving jobs in all areas, from product development to e-commerce growth, but are still underrepresented. This has long-term effects on the economy, government, and security.
Our Secure Future applies the principles of Women, Peace and Security to global issues by integrating gender perspectives in efforts to combat misinformation and online violence against women.
A constant difference in Inclusive Technology
Although gender inclusion has been a focus of democratization efforts, there are still significant gaps in aligning the goals of inclusive democratization and gender equality.
Researchers and activists have documented online violence against women around the world and developed strategies to help women in times of crisis. However, Our Future Secured says that this work is still difficult because of the great disagreement between well-intentioned citizens and governments on the one hand, and technology companies on the other.
The hatred shown in social media and the lack of response to the reported attacks have undermined the trust among feminist politicians in the technology industry as reliable partners in the fight against these harms.
Governments have been slow to address the issue, despite pressure from organizations such as Our Secure Future. For example, even Europe’s leading system for combating violence against women fails to address the online problem.
Trends in Progress
Some governments, such as Australia, have taken steps to combat online violence against women by establishing policies and guidelines through their e-Safety Commission.
However, even these efforts have met with difficulties, as evidenced by the threats made to the Commissioner of eSafety in Australia Julie Inman Grant and the supporters of billionaire Elon Musk when he sought to enforce the law on his social network, X.
As 2024 sees the largest number of voters expected to take part in elections around the world, Our Secure Future encourages everyone to talk about violence against women online.
Efforts should be made to prevent information manipulation and AI from interfering with elections, and special attention should be paid to the handling of candidates online.
For democracy to thrive, public spaces, including digital spaces, must enable equal participation by all. According to Our Secure Futureaddressing online violence against women in politics is no longer a matter of justice. It is essential to the health and integrity of democratic systems around the world.
Allison Leeper is on the staff of writers at Grit Daily.
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