Daily Times

Living in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0) offers new opportunities worldwide and holds promises for enhanced productivity growth and improved well-being of all citizens. New technologies such as financial technologies (FinTech), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and Deep Learning (DL) are fusing the physical, digital, and biological worlds are impacting every aspect of our lives today.

Pakistan is the fifth most populous country in the world, with a population of over 220 million people, and women constitute nearly 49 percent of the population[World Bank 2022]. However, women in Pakistan are facing significant challenges in accessing digital technology. According to a report by the World Bank, women in Pakistan are 43 percent less likely to use the internet than men, and only 26 percent of women in Pakistan have internet access, compared to 47 percent of men. The gender gap in access to technology can be attributed to socio-cultural norms, discrimination, and a lack of awareness of the potential benefits of digital technology.  This perplexing combination leads to limiting women’s ability to learn new skills, access job opportunities, and achieve financial independence exacerbating existing gender inequalities.

Technology has the potential to be a powerful tool for empowering women, enabling them to participate in economic, social, and political spheres of life. It can be a game changer for women in the country that stands 145 out of 146 on the Gender Parity Index[World Economic Forum 2024] However, it has also introduced new avenues for gender-based violence. Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) refers to harmful actions directed at individuals, primarily women and girls, through the use of digital technologies. From a human rights lens, it is a violation of fundamental rights to assert control and power using technology.

Technology Facilitated Gender Based Violence (TFGBV) is not an isolated phenomenon but a continuum of structural gender-based violence as it is both a reflection and a consequence of social and state systems based on gender-based discrimination. The concept of TFGBV goes beyond the idea of online violence, as it is not only manifested in digital spaces but also through different technologies. This includes phones, GPS tracking devices, drones, and recording devices, among many others. Thus, it can affect people who are connected to the Internet and those who are not. It reinforces patriarchal gender roles, norms, and structures, leading to an increase in the gender gap and consists of a major barrier to gender equality and the fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Cyberviolence that includes but is not limited to cyberbullying, online stalking, cybermob, and image-based abuse has the potential to be even more harmful than in-person harassment because it’s anonymous, not sufficiently regulated, and it can be perpetrated anytime, anywhere. It can have profound and multifaceted impacts on individuals at a personal level, affecting their emotional, psychological, social, and even physical well-being. It can lead to a feeling oflack of self–esteem, fear, paranoia, trauma, isolation, and stigmatization in the victims. The negative impacts transcend to family relationships and business operations, with repercussions ranging from reduced opportunities to damaged reputations to financial losses and in the worst cases loss of lives. Instances of online violence in the community result in obstructing opportunities for other girls and women based on the fear of anonymous threats and the likelihood of victim-blaming, thereby, worsening the gender divide. It can affect the access of girls to education, information, health, sexual rights, safety, and financial opportunities in urban and rural centers as the devices can be monitored and confiscated.

With the advent of the internet, offline violence has beentransferred to online spaces where it was reproduced, amplified, and reinvented in numerous forms leading to chaos. Through the case of Qandeel Baloch, a social media influencer honor killed by her brother over social media content; it can be seen that events that occur online have implications beyond the digital environment, posing serious threats to the safety and physical integrity of women and other marginalized groups.

Being a patriarchal society, women are not encouraged to take up public offices which is evident based on the low percentages of women in parliament (20%) and journalism(15%)in Pakistan. Research shows that a higher number of females in politics may contribute to more attention towards female issues in the country. It also facilitates the direct involvement of females in the public decision-making process and ensures better accountability to females. The vile cyberbullying leading up to the General Elections acted as a silencing and censorship tool causing the public to lose relevant and diverse voices and points of viewthereby compromising media freedom and reducing equity and human rights-related content. The political chaos before the elections led to many women stepping back from public life and bidding farewell to politics. It affected both the individual and the social sphere, causing negative effects on public debate, which is essential in democratic societies.

Despite being an over-legislated country, statistics show that lack of knowledge and systematic hurdles discourage manyvictims from accessing available support services. Only a small fraction of TFGBV victims seek professional or legal support, encountering inadequate responses, lack of empathy, or concerns about confidentiality. Most victims predominantly rely on self-managed coping strategies, self-censorship, implementing personal safety measures, and digital anonymity, There is a general hesitation to report GBVstemming from fear of victim blaming, privacy breaches, distrust in government procedures, and doubts about the efficacy of reporting mechanisms, underscoring the need for improved support structures.

With new digital technologies and the forms of online communication and social interaction rapidly and constantly evolving, new forms of cyberviolence are also emergingmaking it hard for legislation to keep up with the technological advancements. The forms might vary by appearance but overlap by characteristics. Unfortunately, the harm inflicted by TFGBV has no borders but the applicable laws and jurisdictions are border bind. Moreover, in the absence of swift redressal mechanisms and lacunas on the technological front victims have to bear the consequences of violations for a long time without any hope. Similarly, the definitions and their implications might vary from culture to culture and context to context. The definitional ambiguity creates problems for content moderation and information sharing across jurisdictions. For better coordination amongstvictim support organizations, perpetrator programs, and law enforcement the intersectional, victim-centered perspective,and trauma–informed lens should come into play that shifts the focus from the content shared to the harm intended and/or inflicted by the perpetrator.

The modern forms of violence must be understood within the broader scope of gender-based violence at all levels of society. Awareness in girls and women about healthy boundaries, preparators, and governing laws for protection should be raised. Law enforcement authorities should be sensitized on the latest issues and threats faced by women and girls online and adequately trained to support the victims to tackle the problems at hand to enhance the clarity, accountability, transparency, and oversight of government efforts to regulate content and the solutions developed by the tech industry in response to those efforts. Safety by design should be at the core of all technological advancements, rollout, and licensing. TFGBV should be recognized as a manifestation of underlying structural problems and legal frameworks addressing this issue must be part of a broader multifaceted strategy that includes non-judicial measures aimed at removing systemic and structural barriers to gender equality.