CYBER VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS

with strong non-regulation policies. According to
Hughes this “mainstreaming of pornography does
not mean that the exploitation or abuse of women
used in making the pornography has decreased.”
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Instead, as a result of competition among sites,
the percentage of violent, misogynistic images has
been steadily increasing. Sites are attempting to lure
customers with increasingly graphic images. “What
is new is the volume of pornography that is being
made and that the average person with a computer,
modem, and search engine can find more violent,
degrading images within minutes than they could in
a lifetime 15 years ago.” The anonymity of the web
can also be used as an advantage to combat cyber
VAWG.
3. In the last ten years, some American and European
pornography producers have moved to places such
as Budapest, Hungary because of the availability
of cheap actors from Eastern and Central Europe.
Budapest is also a destination and transit city for
women trafficked from Ukraine, Moldova, Russia,
Romania, and countries of the former Yugoslavia. The
city is also now the biggest center for pornography
production in Europe, eclipsing traditional centres
such as Amsterdam and Copenhagen. 54
4. In 2014 a virtual market was uncovered involving
four websites, online forums and some 30 groups on
a popular Chinese messaging platform, connecting
traffickers with potential buyers. Some 200,000 boys
and girls are kidnapped in China every year and sold
online. 55
3.2. Characteristics and profiles of
cyber VAWG
Voices from Digital Spaces: Technology Related Violence
against Women identifies five characteristics 56 that
distinguish cyber VAWG.
ANONYMITY
abusive person can remain unknown
to victim/ survivor
ACTION-AT-A-DISTANCE
abuse can be done without physical contact
and from anywhere
AUTOMATION
abusive actions using technologies require
less time and effort
ACCESSIBILITY
the variety and affordability of many technologies make
them readily accessible to perpetrators
PROPAGATION AND
PERPETUITY
texts and images multiply and exist
for a long time or indefinitely
Indeed, we are witnessing a broader pool of perpetrators
and targets, more and more advanced platforms that
broaden scope for surveillance, abuse, storage, difficulty
in tracking and catching predators, crossing national
boundaries, and faster dissemination and propagation
of illegal content. There are profound changes to privacy
dynamics and the ability to erase unwanted content.
When UN Women’s Ambassador Emma Watson launched
the HeforShe campaign and spoke up for feminism,
gender equality and challenging gender norms — both
masculine and feminine — she was met by online attacks
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