Calling all the ladies

Women are frequent targets of harassment in this country, either at the hands of sexually repressed men or men who believe it is their birthright to exist as a superior gender. Misogynistic tendencies are even practised by fathers and brothers or doting husbands towards their daughters, sisters, and wives. A popular medium for female harassment in recent years has been the internet. Although cyberbullying and cyberstalking are considered punishable crimes by the FIA’s National Response Centre for Cyber Crime, the efficacy of its enforcement system has been questioned. Fortuitously, female citizens can now turn to the Digital Rights Foundation, an organisation begun by an enterprising young lawyer in Lahore, Nighat Dad, whose hotline provides legal advice and counselling to survivors. The Digital Rights Foundation is a refreshing beginning for empowering women and helping them seek justice.

Prior to the prevalence of the World Wide Web in Pakistan, women would be physically assaulted via inappropriate groping or intentional bumping into in busy bazaars, for example. With online harassment, some women’s plights turn deadly at times as they receive death threats and fear that they will have to face their attackers in real life. Qandeel Baloch’s murder is a prime example. Other forms of harassment for women include sexual blackmail often via threatening to post nude pictures of the woman and stalking by sending repeated electronic messages. The psychological repercussions of harassment are far-reaching and the body-shaming one receives can lead to body dysmorphic disorders or self-esteem issues. The Digital Rights Foundation is a laudable venture because it provides women with a scaffold to seek justice against their offenders and oppressors. The Cyber Crime Bill was also somewhat a significant step towards female protection but more measures are required. Our lawmakers need to focus on creating tougher legislative tools against online harassment.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 9^th, 2017.

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