The Rise of Cyber Violence Against Women and Its Implications

In the digital age, the internet has become integral to life, offering immense opportunities and challenges. Unambiguously, no one can deny the importance of the Internet and the opportunities it has brought to the fore. However, new criminal activities have also emerged as a result of the digital revolution, primarily targeting women. The prevalence of cyber violence against women is worrisome and poses serious risks to their mental health, physical safety, and privacy. Due to the expanding use of social media, the rapid spread of information via mobile devices, and greater internet penetration, cyber violence against women and girls is becoming a major global issue that could have a significant impact on society and the economy. With a global internet penetration rate of 59% as of April 2020, there were 4.57 billion active internet users and 3.76 billion active social media users.

The Broadband Commission defines online violence against women and girls to include hate speech, hacking or intercepting private communications, identity theft, online stalking, and uttering threats. It also covers actions such as sexting, revenge porn, e-bullying, trolling, and cyberbullying. This type of violence prevents gender equality from being fully realized and infringes on the rights of women. Examples of cyber violence against women include cyberbullying, revenge porn, rape threats, and even sexual assault or murder. Perpetrators can be spouses or former spouses, coworkers, classmates, or, more frequently, unidentified individuals.

The main contributing factor to violence against women and girls is gender inequality, which includes sexism, discrimination, and gender stereotypes. Additionally, the LGBTQ community, women of colour, and members of minority religions are frequently targeted. Online abuse and violence can restrict women’s ability to express themselves freely, equally, and fearlessly. Women are disproportionately affected by cyber abuse, which not only causes psychological harm but also discourages them from utilizing technology to participate in politics, society, and culture.

Cybercrimes against women have far-reaching and significant repercussions. Victims frequently face significant emotional and psychological distress, including anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Their chances of personal and professional development may be limited by self-censorship, social distancing, and withdrawal from online environments due to the fear of being targeted. In addition to psychological effects, cybercrimes can have detrimental impacts on reputation and finances. Individuals who fall prey to revenge porn or doxing may suffer permanent harm to their personal and professional relationships. Financial fraud can lead to identity theft and substantial financial losses.

Types of Cyber Violence

Online Harassment: Women frequently experience harassment on online forums, social networking sites, and other platforms. This can involve posting disparaging remarks, sending unwanted or abusive messages, or creating fictitious personas to disseminate threats and misinformation.

Cyber Stalking: This involves harassing or stalking someone through the internet, email, or other electronic interactions. Cyberstalkers may follow their targets online, post threatening messages, or divulge private information without authorization. In 2020, the NCRB documented more than 1,300 instances of cyberstalking.

Revenge Porn: Sharing private photos or videos without permission is a serious invasion of privacy. This behavior is often driven by a desire for revenge, extortion, or victimization, causing extreme emotional distress to the victims.

Doxing: This involves the malicious publication of personal or identifiable information about a person without their knowledge or consent. It can lead to real-world harassment and threats to the individual’s safety.

Cyber Bullying: This involves prolonged, aggressive actions directed towards women with the intention of intimidating, humiliating, or demeaning them.

Phishing and Scams: Phishing aims to steal financial information, private account access, or personal details, and it frequently targets women. These frauds may take the form of fake websites, emails, or messages.

Cyber Defamation: This occurs when inaccurate and harmful information about women appears online.

Cyber Morphing: This technique involves altering a person’s photo to resemble that of another individual using online morphing tools. It disproportionately affects women. According to a report by the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, women make up over 70% of those who are victims of non-consensual image sharing.

Global Scenario of Cyber Violence

According to a 2017 Amnesty International survey, 36% of British women reported feeling unsafe in their physical presence. In 2020, the World Wide Web Foundation and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts conducted a global survey to better understand the experiences of young people with online abuse and harassment. The survey found that 52% of young women and girls had experienced online abuse, including threatening messages, sexual harassment, and the sharing of private images without consent. Additionally, 64% of respondents knew someone who had been a victim of abuse, violence, or harassment. According to 30% of the respondents, the top concern among young people is the non-consensual sharing of private images, videos, or messages.

According to a global Plan International survey, 60% of women and girls reported encountering harassment on social media, and 25% of them said they had either stopped using social media altogether or reduced their usage. The majority of social media platforms are venues for gender-based violence, with Facebook being the most reported (39% of girls and women surveyed), followed by Instagram (23%), WhatsApp (14%), Snapchat (10%), Twitter (9%), and TikTok (6%).

According to UN figures, women are the target of 95% of online aggression, harassment, abusive language, and derogatory content. In 2021 and 2022, the Women, Business, and the Law team investigated international legal safeguards against cyberbullying. Their research revealed that no comprehensive legal frameworks exist. According to the survey, only 30% of economies worldwide offer legal protections against cyberbullying. The majority of economies still lack laws that protect women and girls from bullying or cyber harassment. Globally, only 12% of economies have implemented legal safeguards against cyber-sexual harassment, and just 27% have mechanisms in place to address cyber harassment.

According to the Women, Business, and the Law database for 2022, only 58 of the 190 economies examined have passed legislation addressing cyberbullying, suggesting that only 47% of women globally are covered by laws against this issue. Generally, high-income economies have more such laws compared to low- and middle-income nations. Even among high-income economies, only roughly one-third have these types of legislation. Geographically, cyber harassment is regulated in half of South Asia’s economies and in 38% of OECD high-income economies. In the Middle East and North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa, 20% and 25% of economies, respectively, have such legislation, indicating significant room for improvement. Only 22 economies worldwide have enacted legal safeguards against cyber sexual harassment, as many countries do not include online sexual harassment in their definitions of cyber harassment.

Only 58 economies worldwide have enacted legislation on cyber harassment, while 22 have enacted legislation specifically addressing cyber sexual harassment.

Indian Context

In comparison to 2021, there was a significant increase in cyber violence against women in India in 2022. The number of cybercrimes committed against women rose by 11% in 2022. There were 2,251 incidents involving the publication or transfer of sexually explicit content, up from 1,896 in 2021. Additionally, there were 689 cybercrimes against women in 2022, compared to 701 in 2021, involving extortion, defamation, morphing, and the creation of false profiles.

The frequency of cybercrimes targeting women has significantly increased in India, largely due to the widespread use of social media and the internet. The availability of the internet has heightened women’s vulnerability, partly due to the lack of effective regulation of cybercrimes such as phishing attacks, revenge porn, online harassment, and cyberstalking. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) of India reports a sharp rise in the number of crimes against women in recent years. In 2020, 10,405 instances of cybercrimes against women were reported, a significant increase from the previous year. These offenses include internet harassment, obscene publishing or communication, and identity theft, among others.

The NCRB reported 6,030 incidents of cybercrimes against women in 2018, up from 4,242 cases in 2017. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has also released data showing a 4% increase in crimes against women in 2022. The overall percentage of crimes committed against women stands at 65.4%, with 75.9% of chargesheets filed. The crimes included in this count encompass cybercrimes against women, dowry deaths, acid attacks, attempted acid attacks, abuse by a husband or his family, kidnapping and rape, trafficking, assaults on women to offend their modesty, and crimes registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Challenges and Way Ahead

The government oversees the “Cybercrime Prevention against Women and Children” (CCPWC) program, which aims to enhance cyber forensic skills, educate law enforcement agencies (LEAs), and raise public awareness of online gender-based violence (OGBV) and related crimes. Advocacy and capacity development efforts are frequently carried out in collaboration with digital platforms and civil society organizations (CSOs) to promote awareness and improve women’s safety online.

The Information Technology Act of 2000, revised in 2008, is one of the laws India has in place to combat cybercrimes. It includes provisions for the punishment of various cybercrimes, such as hacking, identity theft, and cyberstalking. Sections 354A and 354D of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) address sexual harassment and stalking, respectively, and encompass instances of these crimes committed online. Despite these legal protections, enforcement remains challenging. To handle these cases more effectively, law enforcement officials need specialized training, and police agencies should establish dedicated cybercrime units.

In addition, a strong and comprehensive strategy is required. Governments must establish and enforce robust legislative frameworks that explicitly address cybercrimes against women. This involves setting clear guidelines, imposing severe sanctions, and ensuring that law enforcement agencies receive the necessary training to handle such cases effectively. Awareness and education are also crucial. It is essential to educate women about online security and safety. Awareness campaigns can help individuals identify potential dangers, protect their personal data, and know where to seek assistance if they become victims.

Tech companies need to be accountable for the security of their platforms and for swiftly pursuing violators. Additionally, it is crucial to establish victim support networks. This can include providing legal assistance, counselling, and online support groups where victims can share their experiences and find comfort. Community engagement is also essential. Society as a whole must acknowledge and condemn cybercrimes against women. Creating an environment of equality and respect on the internet is vital to preventing these types of crimes.

Conclusion

A proactive, inclusive, comprehensive, and gender-sensitive law is needed—one that can not only criminalize and effectively prosecute online abusers but also prevent violence, end the misogynistic culture that exists online, empower survivors, protect their rights to free speech, and support them. A multifaceted, victim- and survivor-centred approach can be highly effective in combating cybercrimes, ensuring gender equality, eliminating online sexism, and creating a secure and inclusive digital society.