Violence against women is no longer happening on dark streets or in secluded alleys, but through digital devices and social media, said Hana Singer-Hamdi, the UN Resident Coordinator for Nepal. She described ‘digital violence’ as a new form of violence against women.
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At a program organized by the United Nations Nepal in the context of the '16 Days of Campaign' that began on Tuesday with the aim of ending digital violence against women and girls, UN Resident Coordinator Singer-Hamdi stated that online safety is not a privilege but a right.
Minister for Communications and Information Technology Jagdish Kharel was present at the event organized at the United Nations Building, Lalitpur on November 25. The global slogan of this year's campaign is 'Let's unite to end digital violence against all women and girls'.
The situation of digital violence against women is increasing in Nepal. Last year alone, 18,926 cybercrime cases were registered with the Cyber Bureau, out of which more than 7,900 complaints were from women. This included 1,800 cases of online abuse, 495 hate speech, 84 cases of sexual misconduct (sextortion), and 27 cases of deepfakes and image morphing. According to the United Nations, about 60 percent of women worldwide face digital abuse.
At the event, Minister for Communications Kharel said that for many women and girls, digital space has become an unsafe place full of risks rather than opportunities. Online abuse, cyberstalking, hate speech and trolling silence women's voices and curtail their fundamental rights to expression, information and participation, she said. 'The government's aim is to build a safe, inclusive and empowering digital ecosystem for every citizen,' she said. 'The fight against digital violence cannot be won by the government alone, so all support is needed.'
Minister Kharel said that cyber laws and policies will be reviewed and strengthened to combat digital violence and hold perpetrators accountable. She said that this will be included in the curriculum in collaboration with the education sector to increase digital literacy. She called on startups and the private sector to develop solutions such as safe platforms, reporting and educational apps, and stressed the need to continue the partnership between the United Nations, government, civil society and youth.
The digital mural was unveiled at the inauguration ceremony on November 25. In the mural on the wall that can be seen from Damkal Chowk towards Jhamsikhel, artists have carved the image of a woman escaping digital violence and riding in space. Videos to spread awareness about digital violence were shown at the program. Minister Kharel also called for a resolution to make the digital space safe and bright for all women and girls with the launch of the 16-day campaign.
