For years we have been fighting the battle against gender-based violence which has proved to be tough for most activists. The world is evolving and different types of gender-based violence are emerging, the latest one being Online Gender-Based Violence (OGBV). If I were to conduct a survey most people are not familiar with OGBV and that makes it more dangerous and harder to curb. Online Gender Based Violence is any targeted harassment to a person due to their gender using technology. In the current era it is difficult to imagine life without social media. Social media has really helped in people’s connection, but it has opened doors for other forms of abuse. Most of the harassment is directed to women even though men are also affected.
In my opinion, the world is trying to empower women while still breaking them. Most of the perpetrators attack women on social media platforms either because they are jealous or afraid of the achievements of these women and their zeal to fight for what they love. Since most victims do not speak up, they lose their morale to achieve their dreams and realize their full potential. Most young girls also lose confidence and hope in life and at times they feel inferior when around the opposite gender.
The most sickening part of this problem is that the society has already normalized OGBV and this prevents most victims from speaking up as they fear judgment and being discriminated against. The traditional societal expectations of a woman are the main cause of this frequent harassment. Society has set certain standards for a woman and if they do not adhere to it they fall subject to these attacks. If a lady posts herself someone is ready to point out her flaws and call her out for that.
Women who take part in attacking a fellow woman is the ultimate deal breaker. This encourages the male perpetrators to continue harassing women. Online Gender Based Violence is one of the leading causes of mental health issues around the world. Due to its lack of recognition, agencies coming up with ways to curb causes of mental health issues do not provide solutions for OGBV. It is time we come together and look for better ways to curb this problem, since the current methods offered by social media platforms are futile.
Online platforms were meant to be places where people connect and share information and ideas regardless of their ethnicity, religion and gender and it is high time we ensure its purpose is retained.
We can end Online Gender Based Violence if we stop judging the victims and if we call out the perpetrators.