Sexual harassment and gender-based hate speech / UN

Every new wave of conflict brings with it a rising tide of human tragedy, including new waves of war’s oldest, most silenced, and least condemned crime – sexual violence. Conflict-related sexual violence, whether against women, girls, men, or boys in all their diversity, continues to be used as a tactic of war, torture, and terrorism amid deepening political and security crises, compounded by militarization and the illicit proliferation of arms.

New crises have multiplied as entrenched conflicts have deepened, resulting in shrinking civic space and rising reprisals against human rights defenders, activists, and journalists.

Sexual harassment and gender-based hate speech have surged in the digital space. While the use of information and communications technology has contributed to the empowerment of women and girls and other groups in vulnerable situations, its use has also enabled the propagation of violence.

In some settings, disturbing trends of gender-based hate speech and incitement to violence fuelled conflict in which rape and other forms of sexual violence are used to humiliate and destabilise targeted communities. Hate speech – including online – has become one of the most common ways of spreading divisive rhetoric on a global scale.

We must confront bigotry by working to tackle the hate that spreads like wildfire across the internet.”

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) — a tool for empowerment… and destruction

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) may be used directly as a tool for making digital threats and inciting gender-based violence, including threats of physical and/or sexual violence, rape, killing, unwanted and harassing online communications, or even the encouragement of others to harm women physically.

On the other hand, ICT can be a powerful tool to improve gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, contribute to building their resilience in times of crises, increase the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence, as well as help survivors fight against impunity and improve accountability.

A lack of access for women and girls to affordable, accessible, and reliable technologies remains a critical challenge in many countries. All efforts should be deployed to reduce the price and enhance the affordability of information and communications technologies and broadband access and use. More needs to be done in bridging the gender digital divide and ensuring technology is safe and accessible to all.

We must guarantee safe and equitable access to inclusive and quality education, including digital literacy for all.

International cooperation must be enhanced to counter increasing sexual and gender-based violence, harassment and hate speech occurring both offline and online, as these pose a real threat to democracy by weakening women and girls’ participation in society.