Silenced online: Women's experiences of digital harassment in Pakistan

IF 1.5 3区社会学 Q2 WOMENS STUDIES

Womens Studies International Forum Pub Date : 2025-04-01 DOI:10.1016/j.wsif.2025.103090

Rabia Ali

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Abstract

Digital harassment of women in Pakistan has emerged as a significant social and legal issue, with far-reaching implications for women's participation in online spaces and their overall well-being. This paper explores the prevalence, nature, and impact of digital harassment against women in Pakistan, examining the various forms it takes, including online stalking, threats, abuse, hate speech, and non-consensual sharing of intimate images and videos. The data for this paper is drawn from qualitative face to face in-depth interviews with 14 women and responses of 42 women who filled an online Google survey form. Thematic analysis was employed to interpret the data. The participants experienced significant negative emotional impacts from online harassment, including anxiety, stress, depression, self-blame, fear, guilt, embarrassment, regret, and sleep disturbances. The cultural norms and legal inadequacies make it difficult for survivors to report cases of digital harassment and to seek justice. Hence, along with legal reforms, awareness campaigns and technological interventions are needed to address the issue. By understanding the complexities of digital harassment against women in Pakistan, this research aims to inform policy development and it advocates for effective measures to protect women's rights and ensure their safe participation in the digital sphere.

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网络沉默：巴基斯坦女性遭受网络骚扰的经历

在巴基斯坦，对妇女的数字骚扰已成为一个重大的社会和法律问题，对妇女参与网络空间及其整体福祉产生深远影响。本文探讨了巴基斯坦对妇女的数字骚扰的普遍性、性质和影响，研究了各种形式的骚扰，包括在线跟踪、威胁、虐待、仇恨言论和未经同意分享私密图像和视频。本文的数据来自于对14名女性的定性面对面深入访谈，以及42名女性填写的在线b谷歌调查表格的回复。采用主题分析对数据进行解释。参与者经历了网络骚扰带来的显著负面情绪影响，包括焦虑、压力、抑郁、自责、恐惧、内疚、尴尬、后悔和睡眠障碍。文化规范和法律缺陷使得幸存者难以报告数字骚扰案件并寻求正义。因此，除了法律改革外，还需要开展提高认识运动和技术干预措施来解决这一问题。通过了解巴基斯坦对女性的数字骚扰的复杂性，本研究旨在为政策制定提供信息，并倡导采取有效措施保护女性权利，确保她们安全参与数字领域。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Womens Studies International Forum WOMENS STUDIES-

CiteScore

2.50

自引率

7.10%

发文量

审稿时长

79 days

期刊介绍： Women"s Studies International Forum (formerly Women"s Studies International Quarterly, established in 1978) is a bimonthly journal to aid the distribution and exchange of feminist research in the multidisciplinary, international area of women"s studies and in feminist research in other disciplines. The policy of the journal is to establish a feminist forum for discussion and debate. The journal seeks to critique and reconceptualize existing knowledge, to examine and re-evaluate the manner in which knowledge is produced and distributed, and to assess the implications this has for women"s lives.