Women’s rights online
In the digital age, the internet offers women a powerful platform for self-expression and empowerment. However, a feminist perspective highlights the challenges that persist.
The digital gender gap, stemming from issues like affordability and education, still limits women’s access to the online world. Furthermore, women continue to be disproportionately targeted by online violence, from cyberbullying to harassment, which stifles their voices and participation.
Addressing these challenges is a shared responsibility, involving policy changes, shifts in societal attitudes, and empowerment.
The EWL is working to delve deeper into the digital gender gap, online violence, and other efforts to promote gender equality online. Together, we can create a more inclusive, equitable, and safe digital environment for women.
Ending online violence against women and girls
Online violence against women and girls is part of the continuum of violence against women and must be stopped. The EWL works on mobilising political leaders, tech giants and stakeholders to come together to ensure that our digital public spaces are safe for all women and girls.
Directive on violence against women
Across the EU there are significant gaps in legislation on online VAWG. The EWL supports the focus on combating and preventing online VAWG in the proposal for the Directive on combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence. Online VAWG has consequences on the real life of victims and both perpetrators and platforms refusing to provide assistance to victims and to facilitate the work of justice in such cases should be held accountable for these acts of online violence.
#HerNetHerRights
One of our central activities is to raise awareness on the reality of online violence; a burning issue which threatens women’s participation in political debate and leadership.
Having mapped this critical issue in the #HerNetHerRights report and resource pack in 2017, the EWL outlined that violence against women in the digital space is a part of the continuum of violence against women and not a separate phenomenon; 45% of domestic violence survivors reported experiencing some form of abuse online during their relationship and 1 in 3 women politicians have experienced some form of online violence.
With this understanding, back in 2018, the EWL Observatory on Violence against Women and EWL Women in Politics Working group, in project cooperation with Google, developed the #HerNetHerRights: Prevent, Protect, Promote training sessions for women political candidates and activists engaging in the election and surrounding debates.
The aim of the training was to equip participants with the EWL’s feminist, holistic analysis on the continuum of VAWG whilst providing practical advice on what they can do if they are experiencing online violence.
With the same purpose, the EWL is currently organising another round of training on HerNetHerRights targeting women in politics running for the upcoming EU election in 2024.
Publications
