DataNovember 25: Hollaback and #orangetheworld against violence

Who runs the world? Girls! I wish dear Beyoncé, I really wish they did.  We would be able to do that if only women were able to pass the barrier of gender equality. Moreover, I wish that in times like this, when we are surrounded by violence, we could at least not worry about violence against women. Womankind states that violence against women and girls is a global issue with 1 in 3 women across the world experiencing violence.

25Nov, from 1960 to nowdays: #Orangetheworld

On November 25, 1960, three sisters, Patria Mercedes Mirabal, María Argentina Minerva Mirabal and Antonia María Teresa Mirabal, were killed in the Dominican Republic on the orders of the Dominican ruler Rafael Trujillo. The three sisters were rebels, and were fighting to end Trujillo’s dictatorship. Activists on women’s rights have observed a day against violence on the anniversary of the deaths of the Mirabal sisters since 1981.

On December 17, 1999, November 25 was designated as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women by the UN General Assembly. Each year observances around the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women concentrate on a particular theme, like this year‘s campaign “Orange the world”.

The United Nations defines violence against women as “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.”

Violence in the digital era: physical, mental but also cyber

Violence can have many faces and many forms, and I think it is interesting to consider the fact that we are now living in the digital era, and violence can be physical, sexual or mental, but also cyber. A report released by the United Nations Broadband Commission in September mentions that “almost three quarters of women online have been exposed to some form of cyber violence”. With this paper, the commission wanted to underline that the web should be used as a powerful resource to enrich people, not as a dangerous method to harass people. Some key facts that can also be found in this report are:

• Women in the age range of 18 to 24 are much likely to experience stalking and sexual harassment in addition to physical threats.
• One in five female Internet users lives in countries where harassment and abuse of women online is extremely unlikely to be punished.
• In many countries, women are reluctant to report their victimization for fear of social repercussions.
• Cyber violence puts a premium on emotional bandwidth, personal and workplace time, financial resources and missed wages.

I agree with Time magazine when they quote: “cyber violence can still dramatically affect women’s ability to participate in the modern world. With 450 million more women expected to come online in the next three years, more and more women are relying on the internet for educational and professional resources”. In addition, according to Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women, it is dangerous for women not to be online in the 21^st Century. Why? She explains that to be forced to be disconnected, “it’s like having your freedom disrupted: your right to work, your right to meet people, your right to learn, your freedom of speech. So if women become so intimidated and traumatized from the experiences they may have, it’s a whole world that will be lost to them for the rest of their life.”

The power of sharing: Hollaback, alias the web against violence

The web is also the perfect base for many communities and activities against violence. Many websites and campaigns support women. One, for example, is Hollaback, a place where through your smartphone or a computer you can document, map, and share incidents of harassment. The Hollaback organization is currently in 44 cities worldwide. Those who are victims of street harassment (cat-calling, hollering, etc.), including indecent exposure can report their case on the website. There are websites like VAWnet, an online collection of full-text, searchable materials and resources on domestic violence, sexual violence and related issues; stopvaw is a project of The Advocates for Human Rights, a forum for information, advocacy and change in the promotion of women’s human rights around the world.

As mentioned before, now there is the “Orange the world” campaign that lasts 16 days, but I’d like to challenge you to make it last a bit longer, let’s say … how about forever?