The National Gender Commission is alarmed by the pervasiveness of sexist cyber bullying on social media.
Young women and girls, as well as vulnerable and marginalised groups and marginalised genders face constant harassment and discrimination on line.
Women and young girls are being subjected to derogatory comments, threats, insults, harassment, unsolicited sexting (sending sexually explicit mobile messages and images), derogatory morphing (using digital tools to alter images), virtual rape (non-consensual sexual violence online), revenge porn, flaming (sending angry and or insulting messages online), public shaming and objectification simply for being normal.
This outrageous reinforcement of harmful stereotypes and discriminatory societal norms is a form of gender-based violence that must be addressed urgently.
The cyber bullies derive perverse pleasure from the impact of this appalling psychological violence, which they perpetrate with relentless impunity to trigger isolation, continuous scrutiny, and negative judgement.
Women and young girls in Botswana have suffered relentless degrading exposure, which undermines their self-esteem and sense of safety.
This diabolical trend unashamedly rides on the misguided coattails of misogyny and systemic discrimination born of our unfortunate traditional culture, where women’s voices are marginalised; and ‘modern’ trends where women’s bodies are objectified.
By targeting women and girls and undermining their self esteem, and sense of safety; cyber bullying is perpetuating a cycle of oppression that is deterring women from participating in the public discourse, professional spaces and on line communities.
The chilling effect is that is that of silencing the voices of women politically, socially, economically and spiritually.
•These criminal cyber bullies engage in body shaming of your girls bodies, so that they end up not going to school and failing. •They denigrate women for what they wear like they did when Hon. Lesego Chombo wore gym tights for a GBV aware ness walk. •They insult and question women’s intelligence; by suggesting that they can’t lead and should stay at home
The national gender commission calls for:
* A more comprehensive enforcement of the laws addressing cyber bullying; with the application of appropriate penalties to offenders.
* Urgent public and School educational programs as well as teacher training on GBV including cyber bullying. * All social media platforms to prioritize safer environments, with moderation policies, dismantling toxic behaviours, introducing more robust reporting systems. * The long overdue GBV law must address more extensively, this abhorrent sexist cyber bullying. Most of all we call for responsible behaviour on line and a safe environment for women and girls. It is their constitutional, and human right.
*Joy Phumaphi is the chairperson of Botswana National Gender Commission
