FEMM Presentation

With the rise of digital technology, younger people are spending more time online —but for many, this comes with exposure to harassment, discrimination and abuse. This is called cyber violence, which occurs across multiple platforms, including social networking sites, messaging apps and discussion forums. As a result of the pandemic internet usage has increased significantly and so has online harassment negatively impacting people’s lives. What is concerning is that the younger the victim is, the more difficult it is to cope with the situation. 

Studies, including research by the Pew Research Center, show that young people —especially women —are at higher risk of online harassment. They experience severe forms of online harassment such as offensive name-calling, public embarrassment, sexual harassment and physical threats. Victims receive threatening emails and hate messages and are subjected to unwanted communication. 

Girls and women may face harassment and discrimination like bullying, stalking, intimidation and persecution. Their images can be misused without permission and deepfake content can be published. Even a less severe form of online harassment can make victims feel threatened, distressed or unsafe. This often leads to a fear of harassment in the digital world and to an avoidance of participation in it. As a result, many women feel discouraged from expressing their opinions or engaging in online discussions. 

Online harassment affects negatively many girls’ and women’s interest in working in digital platforms, participating in online communities as well as sharing political views. Cyber violence can have an impact on women’s confidence when it comes to technology, further contributing the digital gap between genders and influencing to career choices. The abuse limits women’s rights and widens the gender gap in digital participation in political, social and cultural life. In some cases, this sort of abuse is also meant to keep women out of public life. 

Cyber violence also raises the risk of mental health issues. It causes psychological harm and suffering, which can lead to depression or anxiety disorders. Victims do not always report the cases and keep the information to themselves — leading them to deal with the harassment alone. Exposure to harassment can also damage self-confidence and self-worth especially, among young girls.  

In addition to the harassment faced by girls and women, there are many other vulnerable communities such as racial minorities and LGBTQ+ individuals, who face discrimination online. According to Cyberviolence report in the Council of Europe Portal women who have more than one commonly-targeted characteristic such as skin colour, minority religion or identify as LGBTQ+ may be attacked online more often. This makes some women more vulnerable and violates equality. 

Many organizations, communities and governments as well as the European Union are working to make online safer place for interaction, work and self-expression. There has been a lot of discussion of cyber protection measures that could include good education, online courses and stricter consequences for perpetrators. The FEMM committee will address this issue head-on, working to develop concrete solutions that ensure young women can navigate the digital world safely and freely.