‘It’s high time we took online abuse of women seriously’

Written by PIYUSH SARNA

‘’WHEN I posted my picture online earlier in 2017, I was expecting a backlash, but I did not expect it to be of this size…I had two choices before me, either let the online violence silence me, or use the platform to amplify my cause. I chose the latter.’’

Gurmehar Kaur, a student, social activist and an author, relived her experience of online violence at an event organised by the British High Commission and the Canadian Consul General on Friday, ahead of the International Women’s Day.

The event saw an interesting discussion by prominent women and civil society members who shared their experiences of harassment. A total of seven speakers discussed the growing use of Internet in India and how targeted violence has left Indian women feeling increasingly vulnerable rather than empowered online.

Consul General of Canada in Chandigarh, Mia Yen, said, “Canada believes in the promotion and protection of the rights of all women and girls to access digital technology without being targeted by online violence and abuse. Today’s event is a great opportunity to discuss ways to make the Internet a safe space for women. I encourage everyone to join the movement to end online gender-based violence. Online violence against women is a hurdle to their rights to equality and freedom of expression.’’

Talking about the issue of rights of women and girls, Andrew Ayre, British Deputy High Commissioner said, “I’m a man but I surely understand the problems faced by women these days. The British government is a strong advocate of human rights and has initiated many programmes to promote gender equality. Clearly there remains much to do but working with our Indian partners will continue to improve lives, particularly of those less fortunate than ourselves.’’

Human rights activist Sanam Sutirath Wazir said, “While men can also be victims of online abuse, women are often overly targeted, especially when political opinions are expressed. It’s high time we took more seriously online abuse of women. We must ensure that women can express themselves without fear online. We need safe spaces for women to talk about their abuse.”

The speakers said social media will be saturated in the coming years and everybody will have millions and millions of platforms. Hence, nipping this evil in the bud is essential. Other panelists at the event included Dhananjay Chauhan, Supreet Dhiman, Harjot Bains, Shalini Singh and Amy Hawkes. The event was attended by students from different colleges.