Digital platforms and gender-based violence
By providing evidence-based actionable recommendations, the policy brief Tackling cyber violence against women and girls: The role of digital platforms, published by the European Institute for Gender Equality, aims to support digital and social media platforms in strengthening their policies and practices to combat cyber violence against women and girls (CVAWG).
According to the report, in order to make digital spaces safer for women and girls, it is crucial to recognise that they are more likely to be the targets of cyber violence. This occurs as part of the broader continuum of gender-based violence (GBV), which is embedded in persisting unbalanced power structures, and can cause physical, sexual, and psychological harm, as well as financial issues.
The accurate assessment of the prevalence and incidence of CVAWG is therefore essential to further inform EU Member State policies and legislation across the European Union, and to advise stakeholders on how to strengthen their collaborative efforts to combat this phenomenon.
To address and assess CVAWG, a standardised, collaborative approach is required across legislative jurisdictions, digital platforms and digital service providers.
Alongside a summary of the key challenges when combating CVAWG – such as a lack of gender focus in standards and trust and safety policies; data fragmentation; insufficient provision for moderation, reporting and response mechanisms; insufficient cooperation, transparency and collaborative support across relevant stakeholders – the policy brief provides recommendations for digital platforms, which include greater transparency, gender-sensitive policies, and better collaboration across platforms.
