Violence against women and girls, online or in the physical world, have no boundaries, cutting across borders, race, culture and income groups, profoundly harming victims, people around them, & society as a whole. Now, in the world, social networking sites and Apps, comes to harassing women online. For that, Twitter recently launched, Campaign #PositionOfStrength for Women’s Empowerment in India, and the MENA region.
As a current UN report of ‘Cyber Violence Against Women and Girls’ reveals, “Millions of women and girls around the world are subjected to deliberate violence because of their gender. Online crimes are not a ‘first world’ problem, they seamlessly follow the spread of the Internet.”
In the last few years, some initiatives have emerged, aimed at empowering victims against their aggressors. for instance: “Tech Back The Tech” is a global campaign, which stigmatizes the use of technology as a tool for violence against women. In Argentina, the “#NiUnaMenos” hashtag is used to highlight and condemn femicides that go unpunished in the country. In Pakistan, “#Bytes” for All uses digital storytelling to teach teenage girls about their rights.
Now Twitter Launched #PositionOfStrength, host workshops with women’s leaders on women’s empowerment and safety throughout the year. Under the campaign, the first roundtable and workshops with the ladies’s leaders to explore increased empowerment and security for women’s, with over 20 influencers, some of them are: Kiran Bedi, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Anjum Chopra, Sowmya Rao, Sairee Chahal, and Chavvi Rajawat, who offered their perspectives on using Twitter as a “#ForceForGood” in society, shared, that how the platform has helped them find a voice, connect with people from the country and the world, and view the instant feedback they receive as constructive criticism that has helped them grow.
Successful women’s explained, how the use of digital platforms has the potential to remove barriers, biases, overcome mobility restrictions, and other limitations, and how Twitter, in particular, can provide a public voice and help develop a personal brand.
#PositionOfStrength, is for women’s empowerment, “to inspire the next generation of women’s leaders to have an influential voice in society,” to help female Internet users bridge the gender equality gap online, using online platforms to expand their reach and influence. It was previously run in Australia and India, but this is the first time the campaign arrives in Asia.
According to Mahima Kaul, Public Policy Head, Twitter India. (PTI), “We have heard from many women influencers who have used Twitter to drive awareness of gender pay gap, childcare, domestic violence, healthcare and flexible work. With the introduction of #PositionOfStrength, we hope to strengthen the women empowerment movement and encourage women to amplify their voices in a secure and confident manner.”
According to Twitter’s EMEA Outreach Manager Kira O’Connor, “We want women across the Gulf region to be able to communicate in a safe, secure, and enjoyable environment online. We don’t want them to shy away from contributing because of trolls or those who seek to stifle their voices.”
“We have introduced measures to empower our users with tools to mute, block and report abusive behavior,” says Patricia Carter, Head of Global Trust and Safety Outreach, Twitter.