From unwarranted sexual messages to public threats, here we learn how fight against online violence towards women.
Related: How Women Can Break Free From Toxic Competition
As we now live in a virtual world, targets of online violence towards women rise even further, especially to women who aren’t afraid to speak up. Ask any woman and most of them would tell you that they’ve faced gender-based discrimination online one way or another.
Whether it be unsolicited sexual photos in their inboxes or mansplaining political debates, these relentless harassments work as a silencing mechanism. Speaking from personal experience, I realized that fighting and protecting women online is just as important in advocating for it offline. “Empowered women empower women,” the saying would go.
To help you speak up powerfully for yourself and others, below are 4 steps you can practice as woman who cultivates a safe space for her community.
Disagree Without Dismissing
Political talk can become extremely heated and for women, it also includes sexist remarks to invalidate their opinions and force them into self-censorship. But discussing politics is healthy for democracy and women have the right to take part in it. If you come across name-calling and nonsensical comments against you or your fellow women, rather than canceling them immediately, step in and try to educate them.
Most of us are guilty of thinking how to retaliate instead of listening to the person we’re engaging with but by choosing to educate, you’re not adding more fuel to the fire and giving them the benefit of enraging you. If you feel upset or overwhelmed at any point, take a step back to calm down. In the end, if they’re still not communicating respectfully then you’ve done your job and you’ve proven that they’re not up for the educational exchange and are only there to spread hate.
Consent Is Simple
The ability to hide behind a screen enables sexual predators and harassers to disassociate from their victims and desensitize the cruelty they inflict. Spreading of nude photos is one of the most common online harassments today and because the internet is open to all, minors are also particularly vulnerable to these.
If you happen to see a private photo online that was shared without consent, report it immediately and inform the person involved. Don’t go chatting with your friends and sending the link because that makes you part of the problem. If a woman shares her story of sexual violence online, listen to her and validate her feelings. It shows her that she’s not alone and helps connect our individual experiences to a shared push for change.
Call Yourself Out
Identifying as a woman does not automatically exempt you from oppressing others. Because there are deeply rooted unconscious biases in our society, we might not notice it, but sometimes we compare and compete ourselves with other women to make ourselves feel better. For example, if you’re commenting about another woman’s appearance and it goes something like “she’s beautiful but…” or “no offense, I think she should…” then that’s already a bad sign.
If you’re comparing your personal experiences with the remark “ako nga eh,” then you’re invalidating another woman’s experience. Get comfortable with holding yourself responsible which will, in turn, help you judge others less.
Pass The Mic
Online violence is complex and while we collectively experience discrimination, it’s also an intersectional issue. These include women from marginalized communities, including LGBTQ+ people, women of color, which are often disproportionately targeted with online abuse.
If you’re not particularly educated or connected to the issue, give the spotlight to the woman who does. This ensures that stories are told truthfully and represented well. By simply showing up or leaving supportive comments on the post, we can stand by our fellow women and let our united presence be known.
The post She Speaks: How To Cultivate An Online Safe Space For Women appeared first on MEGA.
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