By Sharon Kiburi
Nairobi, Kenya: Research shows that women are more prone to violence. However, they suffer even further in online spaces, as demonstrated by a report by UNESCO; 70% of women journalists worldwide have faced online harassment, while twenty percent are attacked physically.
A conversation on the affair during the comic strip launch on Thursday, 15th December 2022, a co-creation by Amwik and Women At web (Rwanda), clearly highlighted the predicament. The virtual launch of the Comic strip, moderated by Christine Ndung’u, began with her narration of the life of a comical character called Samira.
“A panel discussion revealed the story of Samira; she was harassed after releasing a movie she was featured in. A journalist posted her photo on social media to promote the film, asking whether Samira as a plus-size woman is sexy. The question opened a can of worms that saw her receive attacks and horrible comments on social media, and the conversation was so drifted that the achievement of the movie was ignored,” narrates Ndung’u.
Further, Ndung’u noted in her narration that Samira’s body shaming was too intense that she had to enclose herself in the house for several weeks.
During the launch, Glory Iribargiza, a gender editor at the New Times, said Online violence is rampantly growing each passing day; hence it is critical to conduct more awareness on the subject.
“First, citizens must be aware that it is a criminal offense to harass an individual online or to spread unverified slander about them,” said Iribargiza.
While Florah Ndaba the Acting head of program activism and movement building, emphasized that there is a need for resources, policies, laws, and psychological support for victims of online harassment. Because it is economically essential to make digital platforms safe for women to use, said Ndaba. Adding civic education should encourage users to be vigilant when responding to comments online.
Zubeda Sakura, a public policy and administration expert, shed light on how marginalized community groups are extensively affected by online harassment. She called for “Accountability in using the social media platform and involving men in the conversations to ensure an inclusive society enlightenment,” said Sakuru.
There are many hindrances to this issue; less women report online violence, similar to why they find it challenging to write on gender-based violence. Women also have fear, the cultural expectations and judgments, lack of effective policies and laws guidelines that ensure justice for the victims.
The comic strip about Online Violence Against Women for women in the East Africa region was produced as part of the regional advocacy work that the Women At Web East Africa network undertakes, in cooperation with DW Akademie, supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development in Germany; Media Convergency, Acacia Book Café (ABC), Association of Media Women In Kenya (AMWIK).
