As the world prepares to commemorate the 2024 16days of Activism to raise awareness on issues of sexual and Gender-based violence, online gender-based violence is now a trend that is raising concerns.
Nguvu Collective, an international organisation is neck deep in the campaign against online gender-based sexual harassment and wants relevant authorities to pay greater attention to this growing phenomenon.
Negative comments in response to videos posted online by content creators seem to be a trend, which is gradually normalizing abuse and insults targeted at people’s gender
The wide acceptance of social media as a platform for social and economic engagements is a major reason this kind of targeted abuse continues.
Online gender-based violence, mostly affects women more than men, including demeaning sexual remarks, posting nudes of victims online, harassment and cyberstalking
Grace Akhigbe, Nguvu Collective change leader explains how online gender-based violence is different from cyberbullying
UN Women note that digital violence against women and girls escalated during the COVID-19 pandemic as more women were more active online as a substitute for the lockdown which restricted movement and interactions.
There is no accurate data to back up incidences of online GBV, but a global report, according to UN Women indicates that prevalence ranges between 16 to 58 per cent
A breakdown of the data says 38 per cent of women have personal experiences of online violence, 28 per cent of women in Sub-Saharan Africa are survivors, while 85per percent of women online say they have witnessed online violence against other women
Nguvu Collective has been leading campaigns in Nigeria against online gender-based violence
Now the goal is to reduce or eradicate these cases, and also escalate the need to enforce available laws
These abuses have both online and offline impacts
Its impact could impede the socioeconomic and political aspiration of women, including desires to hold public offices- intimidation that could cause trauma and in worst cases, suicide.
