International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

November 25th is International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, as designated by the United Nations. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness for gender-based violence against women and to fight for women’s rights. Gender-based violence includes anything that results in or is likely to result in physical, sexual, or psychological harm to women, as well as threats of such acts. After November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is followed by the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, the last day of which is International Human Rights Day.

How To Stay Safe

The easiest and most important way to protect yourself and your loved ones from violence against women and girls is to stay informed. Violence against women and girls is surrounded by stigma and shame, and many cases of such violence remain unreported. It is important to learn and understand signs of abuse in order to be there for the women and girls in your life. Violence against women and girls can occur during:

• intimate partner violence
• sexual violence and harassment
• human trafficking
• female genital mutilation
• child marriage

In the digital age, many of these interactions may happen online. Coercion, manipulation, and threats run rampant online and can often end up with women in disadvantageous and dangerous situations. Help make sure that the internet is a safe space for women by helping to report online users who display threatening behaviour, believing in survivors and speaking up for them, and staying informed about the causes, drivers, and consequences of violence against women.

If you are a woman experiencing tech-facilitated violence, here are some things you can do to protect yourself:

1. Disconnect From The Person causing Harm

One of the most important steps is to cut off contact with whoever is causing harm online, but make sure to disconnect in a safe manner. Before disconnecting, create a safety plan and consult a case worker for support. The person who is causing harm will know when you disconnect, so make sure you have a plan in place and follow a checklist of things you need to double check such as your phone settings, app settings, and re-setting passwords to ensure that you are fully and safely disconnecting.

2. Protect Yourself From Spyware And Stalkerware

Violence against women and girls can often result from the offender having used spyware or stalkerware to learn more about their victims by tracking, monitoring, and later harassing them. When searching your device for spyware or stalkerware, be very careful as the offender may be able to see what you are doing. Use different devices so the abusive person cannot see your actions.

Some ways to prevent stalkerware is to stay alert about who may or may not have access to your devices – was it a gift from someone else? Have you ever lent your phone to someone? Stalkerware is very quick to install, so if you are suspicious that stalkerware may have been installed, reset your passwords and make sure you are staying safe by enabling 2FA and using strong passwords.

3. Stay Informed About How Technology Works And Potential Risks

Technology is developing at such rapid speeds these days that it can be hard to keep track of what your devices are capable of, but make sure to stay informed about what information your devices have access to and what is being tracked.

For example, understand the risks of public wifi and the information that can be revealed through wifi networks. A built in GPS on your phone and connecting to wifi both can reveal your location, and if you use ‘Find Your Phone’ features then anyone with access to your account could see the location of your phone. To prevent violence against women and girls, make sure you or the women in your life are only sharing their location with trusted individuals.

Additionally, understand the safety and privacy settings within downloaded apps. Make sure to read the documentation and understand what information is being shared through your apps. Many apps document your location or pick up audio, so go through your app settings to see what you have enabled.

How To Stay Safe With KnowledgeFlow

At KnowledgeFlow, we provide multiple resources to help keep women safe online. Check out our Digital Self Defence Guide: Cybersafety for Personal Safety, that tackles technology abuse and cyberstalking to ensure that women are safe and empowered online.

Our Digital Self Defence Guide thoroughly covers all digital platforms, from internet browsers to social media. Go through our guide to learn about how to always stay protected online and how to make online spaces safe for everyone.

To learn more about human trafficking and how to protect against it, check out our World Day Against Trafficking in Persons: Securing Your Online Presence Against Trafficking post, which outlines the ins and outs of how human trafficking occurs and what the best ways to protect yourself against it are. The post also links to multiple other resources, so make sure to give it a read in order to stay informed for the safety of yourself and your loved ones.

To develop your understanding of some of the struggles that women face as a result of gender inequality, read our blogpost for International Women in Cyber Day 2024, which goes over the barriers of entry for women in cybersecurity and highlights five incredible women who are in the field. Bringing more women into male-dominated fields is a great way to advocate for and support gender equality as well as fostering support and community for women’s rights, protection, and to ultimately put an end to violence against women everywhere.