Combating of Cyberviolence Against Women

Gender-based violence exists in Iraq in many forms; among them is cyberviolence against women such as cyber-harassment, stalking, disinformation, revenge porn, and threats of rape, sexual assault, or murder. Those who commit these crimes are often partners or ex-partners, colleagues, fellow students, and in most cases, the perpetrators remain anonymous, making it extremely difficult for the victims to seek help. In Iraq, like the rest of the world, some women are more exposed to these crimes than others, including civil rights activists, journalists, members of the LGBT community, bloggers, public figures, and politicians. Cyberviolence has many effects on women including psychological harm, preventing them from exercising their freedom of expression, low self-esteem, loss of self-confidence, stress, anxiety, and panic attacks. Additionally, cyberviolence deters women from digital participation in political, social, and cultural life. Along with the transformation of the public sphere onto the internet emerged a whole host of new gender-based issues in Iraq that are negatively impacting the lives of many women and require urgent attention. Through this program, Pasewan Organisation intends to minimize the effects of cyberviolence against women and raise awareness among other civil society organizations as well as the public.