October 15, 2021
By Hafsatu Z Bangura
In this patriarchal world that we live in women still fight to have a say in society, for their voices to be heard, the untold lioness attribute of a woman is being subjected by domineering alphas who subject them to the will of their rule.
The 11th October is annually been celebrated as International Day of the Girl Child as declared by the United Nations yet still we struggle and fight relentlessly for just a % into this patriarchal system we living.
Patriarchy is an analytical concept referring to a system of political, social, and economic relations and institutions structured around the gender inequality of socially defined men and women.
Girls everywhere are undervalued, undermined and underestimated and it’s no news of girls been a victim of cyber bully which has contributed to a much global talk about issue and the brain for this year theme of the celebration of the international girl child day Digital Generation.
The media is a very powerful weapon that destroys millions of lives, hopes, ambitions, dreams in seconds, and this has been the norm of what girls and women have been suffering from over the past years.
False information makes us have doubts about ourselves, our worth, it harms our mental health, it affects our trust in politics, and most of all stops us from reaching our potential. 9 out of 10 have been harmed by it and by the day the number keeps increasing.
Every day there are false or inappropriate information posted online about who we are, how we should behave according to societal norms, video and Images are manipulated to haul us from maximizing our full potential.
Some of our women leaders or role models are undermined with conspiracy theories and false facts. This has become a global issue affecting women and girls especially as the pandemic moves our lives and activities online and we are left to deal with this on our own.
Digital activity has led to so many abuse and violence against women and girls, gender inequality of which gender inequality existed but has worsen due to technological advancements and the digital age we live in.
Violence against women is a pandemic affecting all countries, even those that have made laudable progress in other areas. Worldwide, 35 per cent of women have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence.
Girls are targeted online just because they are young and female, and if they are politically outspoken, disabled, Black or identify as LGBTIQ+, it gets worse. Like street harassment it is unremitting, often psychologically damaging and can lead to actual physical harm.
Threats of physical violence, explicit photos, racial slurs, body shaming. This kind of harassment and abuse should have no place in any of our lives. But in a recent global survey, more than half of girls (58 percent) said girls are learning to expect and accept abuse as a normal part of their online experience. One in five have either left or significantly reduced their use of a social media platform after being abused. Even among those who remain on platforms, one in 10 is forced to change how they express themselves to avoid harassment. Others are driven to depression or self-harm. And girls are largely being left to deal with harassment on their own: although one in three report perpetrators, abuse persists. This is a reality worldwide. In the largest-ever survey on online violence, Plan International spoke to 14,000 girls and young women across 22 countries. From the United States to Kenya, India to Japan, we heard similar stories of girls being harassed, abused and silenced. This is what they experience on social media.
Harassment is not just a problem in and of itself, but a barrier to girls’ leadership and participation in modern life. Harmful gender norms have long pervaded every corner of our societies, undermining girls’ confidence, leadership potential and bodily autonomy. Girls are already driven from public spaces by street harassment and shut out of decision-making spaces by social norms that tell us they are not leaders. Online violence reinforces these norms in violent and explicit ways. Thirty-nine percent of girls interviewed have in confidentiality said online abuse lowers self-esteem and 38 percent say it creates significant mental and emotional stress. Eighteen percent say it can cause problems at school. We cannot allow this to continue in the online spaces once predicted to be a great equalizer.
A global movement to stop online harassment is gaining momentum, and it is time for social media companies and governments to act. In high and low-income countries alike, the report found that girls are routinely subjected to explicit messages, pornographic photos, cyber stalking and other distressing forms of harassment and abuse. Attacks are most common on Facebook, where 39 percent have suffered harassment, followed by Instagram (23 percent), What Sapp (14 percent) and Twitter (9 percent).
As always, the burden falls heaviest on those who face multiple layers of discrimination, with girls and young people targeted most frequently if they are from marginalized ethnic or religious groups, have a disability or identified as LGBTIQ. The damage extends far into girls’ lives offline – a fifth of those surveyed reporting that they or a friend have been left fearing for their physical safety as a result of online harassment. It is frightening, relentless and has profound consequences for girls’ wellbeing.
Of all the power holders who need to act, social media companies are at the top of the list. But they are not the only power holders who must act. Governments should implement specific legislation to deal with online violence and ensure that those targeted have access to justice. They must develop initiatives that support a safe online environment, such as educational programs on digital citizenship, support services for victims, and the collection and publication of disaggregated data on online violence. The international community must work together to create consistent standards for addressing online violence against girls and minorities across borders and jurisdictions.
With internet access growing across all continents and COVID-19 moving more of our lives online than ever before, online protection is an urgent priority. Digital platforms form a central part of our modern lives. By failing to tackle harmful behavior, social media companies guarantee the continued harassment and silencing of girls and minorities. Now is the time to act for safe online environments where girls can be themselves and thrive.