Violence against Women and the Use of Information and Communication Technologies in Jamaica

Existing research points out that a large number of women and girls in Jamaica suffer from gender-based violence. In fact, violence against women (VAW) is a problem throughout the Caribbean region. At the same time, the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) have grown rapidly in recent years. This research project, funded by the Regional Fund for Digital Innovation in Latin America and the Caribbean (FRIDA), was inspired by the observation that there is now some evidence to suggest that ICTs are being used to undermine the rights of women and girls and to promote violence online and offline. However, there is very little research in this area that can inform policymakers and those in support services. This project involves the collection of empirical data and analysis to yield insights into how ICTs are used to perpetuate different forms of VAW in the Jamaican context. It also develops practical recommendations for the government, civil society, and the public to reduce the potential for VAW based on online activities. Such recommendations and analysis can also bring greater public awareness and action around the issue of ICTs and VAW. This includes greater academic focus, particularly from an inter-disciplinary perspective.

This study, with its mixed methods design, involved a national survey of internet users, interviews with survivors of abuse, focus groups, and expert interviews. Approximately 65% or two-thirds of respondents report observing some kind of abuse or harassment online, and approximately 20% of respondents said they had actually experienced some form of harassment or abuse online. The group that was most likely to experience some form of harassment or abuse was women aged 18 to 29; 30% of these respondents reported experiencing online abuse. Approximately 18% of respondents said they had abused another person online. Men were more likely than women to physically threaten someone online or to communicate with someone in a way that made them uncomfortable. Thirteen percent of respondents said they had received and forwarded a nude video of others online, and 48% said they had watched a video online of someone being physically abused.

The research also highlighted the ways in which social media and phones are used as tools of control, particularly in abusive relationships. Social media are also used to directly attack the reputation of the individual. This includes the use of "revenge porn" or distributing sexually related material of someone online against his or her will. Social media are also used to threaten homosexuals by "outing" them publicly. People in the trans-sexual community can be singled out via social media as well. Finally, the researchers noted the ways in which online interactions are linked with offline sexual violence - e.g., in abusive relationships, the nature of online interactions can trigger physical and sexual violence.

To address these challenges, the researchers outline several practical strategies to keep individuals safe online. For example: Be careful about what materials you share online, and with whom you share information on social media applications (apps). Ensure that you know how to manage the privacy settings of whichever app or website you are using. Practice good digital security, including using effective passwords and anti-virus software. Despite precautions, know that the only person to blame is the harasser. At a public level, they highlight the need for action through several policy and other recommendations. As a first step, the government, civil society, and the public in general need to recognise that online harassment and the links between ICT use and VAW are an issue that will only grow, as most internet users are young. One way to address this is to have a national campaign to raise awareness and educate users about the implications of our online activities and what we can do to be safer - ideally using social media. Global campaigns such as Take Back the Tech are one way of actually using ICTs to reduce VAW. Another recommendation is to have workshops that are designed to reach young girls in the secondary school system. They are singled out for online harassment and for sexual violence offline. Given the number of women who make up their membership, churches are described here as ideal venue to not only raise awareness about the problems and strategies to address online harassment, but to also have broader discussions about VAW in the country.

Another strategy detailed here is to improve the state's legal apparatus to deal with sexual violence. However, addressing the problem of online harassment will require a multi-sectoral approach, and it should not be defined as a "gender" problem that only a handful of agencies should address. They also recommend more research on this issue - specifically, with regard to how children (those under 18 years who were not included in this study) use the internet.