CYBER VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS
cyber_violence_gender%20report
cyber_violence_gender%20report
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3<br />
DEFINING THE THREAT<br />
ENVIRONMENT: THE<br />
‘<strong>CYBER</strong>’ NATURE OF VAWG<br />
3.1 Terminologies, definitions and<br />
trends<br />
The United Nations defines violence against women<br />
as: “Any act of gender-based violence that results in, or<br />
is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological<br />
harm or suffering to women, including threats of such<br />
acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether<br />
occurring in public or in private life.” 48 It includes forced<br />
intimate partner violence and sexual assault, marriage,<br />
dowry-related violence, marital rape, sexual harassment,<br />
intimidation at work and in educational institutions,<br />
forced pregnancy, forced abortion, forced sterilization,<br />
trafficking and forced prostitution and gender-related<br />
killings.<br />
The term ‘cyber’ is used to capture the different ways<br />
that the Internet exacerbates, magnifies or broadcasts the<br />
abuse. The full spectrum of behaviour ranges from online<br />
harassment to the desire to inflict physical harm including<br />
“The widespread circulation of such content is particularly<br />
harmful for women. The pervasive gender discrimination in<br />
our society is further heightened since the digital medium<br />
provides the convenient shield of anonymity and fake<br />
identities. Errant persons become more emboldened in their<br />
offensive behavior since it is presumed that they will not face<br />
any consequences.”<br />
K. G. Balakrishnan, former Chief Justice of India<br />
sexual assaults, murders and suicides. 49 Cyber violence<br />
takes different forms, and the kinds of behaviours it has<br />
exhibited since its inception has changed as rapidly —<br />
and, unchecked, will continue to evolve — as the digital<br />
and virtual platforms and tools have spread.<br />
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