We are excited to share that we are starting a new project in partnership with the Numun Fund to map organizations and community responses addressing technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), specifically intimate partner violence (IPV) affecting girls, young women and LGBTIQ+ activists in the Majority World.
WHY THIS WORK MATTERS
TFGBV includes a range of harms, including harassment, stalking, non-consensual image sharing, doxing, and threats enabled or amplified through digital technologies. As internet and smartphone access grows in the Majority World, these forms of abuse are becoming more pervasive. According to UN Women, up to 85% of women globally have witnessed or experienced online violence, with 58% of young women reporting harassment on social media.
Their frequent use of digital platforms makes young women especially vulnerable to TFGBV. This project is particularly concerned about the ways in which digital tools are being used to extend intimate partner violence (IPV). Women who are or have been in abusive intimate relationships can experience higher levels of TFGBV as current and former partners are, in many cases, the perpetrators of TFGBV. Perpetrators are leveraging new technologies such as GPS tracking, recording technologies and sensors to surveil, control and create an environment of intimidation.
For LGBTIQ+ communities, the situation is even more complex. Currently, there is a limited understanding of how technology is used in IPV scenarios affecting queer communities. This is in large part due to a culture of silence especially in contexts where LBTQI+ identities are legally criminalised or socially punished, and a lack of recognition that violence in non-heteronormative contexts is different and requires different forms of support. The issue is especially alarming as trans women are reported as experiencing the highest rates of online violence.
This mapping hopes to gather insights from organizations on the ground who can offer expert perspectives not only on key challenges surrounding tech-facilitated forms of abuse affecting young women and LGBTIQ+ individuals in relationships, but also on how technologies can be leveraged as a site of response to bring targeted and safe access to support for survivors.
ABOUT OUR RESEARCH
We want to hear directly from community-based groups, especially those who may not have high visibility but are making a significant impact on the ground. Through this research project, we are hoping to:
- Identify established and emerging organizations and community groups addressing tech-facilitated intimate partner violence in the Majority World.
- Understand emerging needs and challenges they face, in light of new emerging technologies, and evolving understandings of intimate partner violence affecting girls, young women and LGBTIQ+ communities.
- Document the strategies used to support survivors, with an emphasis on understanding how technology is being used as a site of response to tech-facilitated IPV.
This project is part of our ongoing effort to uplift community-led responses at the intersections of gender and technology. We are currently providing direct support to organizations who are leveraging technology to amplify marginalized voices, foster safer digital spaces, and strengthen collective responses to gender-based violence, both online and offline.
Through this research we hope to gain a better understanding of the emerging needs of organizations addressing TFGBV and IPV across the Majority World, identify opportunities for solidarity and collaboration across the ecosystem and ensure our support initiatives are grounded in local realities.
GET INVOLVED: PARTICIPATE IN OUR SURVEY
If you are part of a social justice organization, collective, or activist working in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia or the SWANA region to address technology-facilitated intimate partner violence we invite you to participate in our survey.
The survey takes about 15–20 minutes to complete and is available in English and Spanish. All responses will be handled confidentially and with care, with no identifying information shared without consent.
We are especially hoping to include emerging or “less visible actors” whose work may not appear in search results but are leading on meaningful and impactful work on the ground. If you know of any such organizations, we would greatly appreciate your help in connecting with them.
Fill out the survey form here available in English and Spanish by July 23
If you are interested in this topic and would like to learn more or collaborate, please reach out to Denisse at denisse@theengineroom.org. We look forward to learning more about your work and building new connections!