Requests for intimate photos are something that youth today – especially girls – might receive. This is also the subject of a public service awareness video produced by the Penang Women's Development Corporation (PWDC) to spread knowledge and understanding on online sexual violence.
The video is part of the Penang State Government's annual Penang Goes Orange Campaign (PGO2024) to raise public awareness and help find solutions to curb gender-based violence. Now in its 11th year, this year's theme is "#Swipe2Stop Online Sexual Violence".
In conjunction with the campaign, a survey was conducted on the prevalence of online sexual violence among the island's residents.
Out of the 700 respondents, 414 (60%) were youth/young adults between the ages of 18 to 35. The survey revealed that 51.9% females and 47.1% males have experienced online sexual violence.
It also showed that 80.6% males and 80.4% females were impacted emotionally, psychologically and socially as a result of the online sexual violence.
In addition, 54.1% of the respondents experienced online sexual violence before they were 18 years old.
The platforms where they encountered the online sexual violence were WhatsApp (47.3%), Facebook (43.6%), and Instagram (30.2%).
Out of all who encountered online sexual violence, 60.5% chose to remain silent and 95.2% didn't know about the existence of help channels for survivors.
Intimate photos sent through messaging apps such as WhatsApp can be forwarded and are very difficult, if not impossible, to retrieve. Photo: YouTube/Penang Women's Development Corporation
The campaign, which was held in conjunction with the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence – an international movement to call for an end to violence against women and girls – ran from Nov 25 (the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) to Dec 10 (Human Rights Day).
The video reminds all, especially youth, to be careful what they share online because digital footprints last forever. Intimate photos sent through messaging applications such as WhatsApp can be forwarded and are very difficult, if not impossible, to retrieve, said a spokesperson from PWDC.
"Sending, keeping and forwarding someone's intimate photos without permission is also wrong under Section 292 of the Penal Code."
"Online sexual violence can happen to anyone, regardless of gender, age, race or religion. It's the shared responsibility of everyone to combat online gender-based violence," the spokesperson concluded.
More info at: @pwdc_penang (Instagram) and @PWDCMalaysia (Facebook)
