Online Gender-Based Violence in Brazil: New Data Insights

Supporting a Safer Internet Paper No. 4

June 28, 2023

This paper focuses on the Brazilian results from the Supporting a Safer Internet survey, undertaken by CIGI and the International Development Research Centre and carried out by Ipsos. The survey looked at the prevalence of online gender-based violence in 18 countries worldwide, with a special focus on the Global South. Other studies and literature referring to gender, sexuality and race are used to complement, contextualize and interpret the country-based data for Brazil. Brazilian respondents, particularly women and LGBTQ+ individuals, reported heightened negative effects on mental health, and low trust in or resort to law enforcement and other institutions. The experiences of high-profile individuals — 83 percent reported experiencing some type of online harm (connected to the very pressing issue of political violence in Brazil) — and the issue of image-based abuse are also discussed. The paper concludes with recommendations addressing some of the gaps concerning the public sector, the private sector, and the cultural or public debate in the response to tackling technology-facilitated gender-based violence in Brazil and globally.

Part of Series

Supporting a Safer Internet

Supporting a Safer Internet: Global Survey of Gender-Based Violence Online is a two-year research project, in partnership with the International Development Research Centre and Ipsos. This project explores the prevalence of online gender-based violence experienced by women and LGBTQ+ individuals in the Global South.

About the Author

Mariana Valente is an assistant professor at the University of St. Gallen Law School (Switzerland) and a director a d board member of InternetLab, Brazil.