Shrouq Tariq
Harassment of women is a global issue. It happens in the real world but is not limited to that and happens on the virtual world too. Growth of internet usage is increasing every day and with it comes its own pros and cons. Issue of gender based harassment is more in countries where access to digital platform is not equal. Factors such as geographical location, economic status, gender and disability regulate the level of access to online platforms, which again is a major issue in developing countries. For example, Pakistan’s digital gender gap is among the highest in the world, as “men are twice as likely as women to own a mobile phone in Pakistan”, only 50 per cent of women own a mobile phone compared with 81 per cent of men in 2021. Women in Pakistan are 49 per cent less likely to use mobile internet than men, which translates into 12 million fewer women than men using mobile internet.
And even if women do have access to digital platforms, they face numerous issues related to harassment. In Pakistan, many cases of harassment of women in public spaces are reported through the media yet hundreds of such cases go unreported due to socio-cultural barriers. Many laws have been passed by the legislature in Pakistan to prevent such acts. In 2016, Pakistan’s parliament passed the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA); a set of laws that would restrict online extremist content, prosecute hate speech, and control harassment of women on the internet.
But the big question is whether passing such acts and bills have changed things in favor of women in Pakistan? A majority of women in Pakistan believe, it hasn’t changed much in terms of safety, security and protection of women. For some women in Pakistan, social media besides being a tool to make their voices heard, is also a platform to showcase their creativity. For some, it’s an escape from the usual, the mundane, and the ordinary, but, it’s not an easy ride into the virtual world.
Digital Rights Foundation, a research-based advocacy NGO in Pakistan, has reported a mounting trend in cyber harassment. The NGO received 2,023 complaints to its Cyber Harassment Helpline in 2019, accounting for 45 percent of the overall complaints received in the last three years with 58 percent of the complaints being from women. The report further disclosed that 40 percent of women in Pakistan have experienced some kind of harassment on social media platforms, including messaging applications like WhatsApp; 70 percent are afraid of posting their photos online. Meanwhile, many internet users are unaware of their rights: Only 25 percent understand the terms and conditions on social media websites, while 72 percent are unaware of cybercrime laws in the country.
There are many examples of heinous crimes online, one such happened in 2016, when Qandeel Baloch, a social media star, was killed by her own brother as a direct result of her online content. He deemed that her online activity brought disgrace and shame on the family. This case highlighted the range of violence from online spaces to offline as well. Given the high profile nature of the case, it was both prominent in terms of awareness raising as well as sparking a debate online.
To solve issues of harassment online, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), has taken this issue up seriously in the past few years and is trying to curtail cases of online harassment. A news report said that until 2018 there were only two women working on the cybercrime help desk in FIA while today they have a staff of 500. While such developments have taken place to address virtual violence against women, it remains to be seen whether these developments are in parallel with effective and gender-sensitive implementation at an institutional level.
Shrouq Tariq is the Research Analyst and writer at Matrix Media. Her work has been published in number of national and international newspapers . She’s also a member of the Matrix Media editorial board. She is currently completing her MPhil in Defense and Strategic Studies from Quaid-i-Azam university. She tweets at @shrouqtariq
