“Due to increased sexism, homophobia, transphobia and violent threats online, many women and LGBTQ+ people are having to choose between facing the abuse that comes with being a woman or LGBTQ+ online or being silent.”
Suzie Dunn on the impact of rampant tech-facilitated violence online
CIGI research (with support from the International Development Research Centre) on the influence of gender and sexual orientation on people’s experiences with online harms included a survey conducted by Ipsos. Launched at RightsCon 2023 in Costa Rica, the research, which focused on developing economies, found that almost 60 percent of participants had experienced some form of online harm and that almost 25 percent of those who experienced harm felt they were targeted because of their gender identity. An event with Parliamentary Secretary Anita Vandenbeld and Suzie Dunn’s participation at the UN Commission on the Status of Women in New York showcased findings for policy makers and others.
The long-term project’s findings show that technology-facilitated gender-based violence is shockingly prevalent globally. CIGI senior fellows and contributors, including Dunn, Tracy Vaillancourt and Aim Sinpeng, are laying out policy and governance options, such as the creation of a global digital civility board.