There is no doubt that women and girls in Afghanistan are subject to persistent online sexual harassment and violence.
The absence of legal or structural mechanisms to protect victims contributes to this, as well as a collective mindset that often holds the victim – especially a woman – responsible in cases of sexually-charged abuse.
In Afghanistan’s context where laws enforced by the ruling authority ensure that girls and women are unsafe in their physical spaces, what hope do they have in being protected in online spaces?
With girls and woman increasingly isolated by the Taliban restrictions on their mobility and choices, it’s imperative more is done to support and protect their presence and connections online.
With this overarching goal, Rukhshana Media is launching the “Break the Silence” on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. This campaign is a commitment to publish experiences of girls and women in online spaces in an effort to build solidarity with each other and to combat the stigma of shame when subjected to sexual violence and harassment.
We believe that speaking out can support victims by revealing how common it is and shift our understanding that the shame and silence is not for victims to carry.
It is time for perpetrators to feel unsafe about their behavior in social spaces instead.
For this shift to happen, it requires mobilization and widespread dialogue particularly from media activists, human rights advocates,and social media users who believe in equality and human rights.
Online violence doesn’t only impact the person targeted
The consequences of online violence against women are multifaceted and highly damaging, not only for the individual victims but for girls and women throughout society.
If it goes unchecked, the abuse will increasingly see girls and women self-limit one of the few freedoms left to them in Afghanistan – their online freedom. But withdrawing won’t stop the violence. If anything, it appears to only increase violence against women who continue to use the platforms, and even in real life.
The loss of social media platforms as a tool for women’s empowerment is a serious consequence that cannot be underestimated in the context of Taliban rule.
As Manuel Castells, a prominent communications theorist, puts it, social media is the “power of the powerless.” He refers to the fact that movements can use social media to amplify their voices to the world.
This reality aligns closely with the current situation of women in Afghanistan. At a time when the Taliban have denied women the ability to protest in the streets, social media remains the only platform for Afghan women and girls to express their resistance.
It is almost exclusively in online spaces that the normalization of Taliban violence against women is challenged. This is why it’s critical that Afghan women and girls have an active presence on social media as an educational tool and a social support.
The United Nations has provided a simple definition of what constitutes online violence and sexual harassment. It includes any humiliating remarks or behaviors in posts and comments, coercion into sexual acts in virtual spaces, threats with the use of sexual language, as well as verbal threats and aggressive behaviors.
However, the more complex examples of this type of violence are highly varied and pervasive.
It is time for this to change. The issue of online violence against women is not merely an individual’s problem – it is deeply connected to the collective fate of women and girls in Afghanistan.
