Don’t let online threats silence women

THE Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) urges the Communications Ministry to take seriously tech- facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) following the death of TikToker and activist Rajeswary “Esha” Appahu.

TFGBV is defined by the United Nations Population Fund as any act of violence that is committed, assisted, aggravated, and amplified in part or fully by the use of information and communication technologies or digital media, often disproportionately towards women, girls, and other minorities, with impacts on mental health and well-being.

The online harassment faced by the 30-year-old Esha is more than just an issue of cyberbullying; it was a case of TFGBV, as the threats levelled against her were primarily focused on rape and other forms of bodily harm. The Communications Minister rightly noted that the main issue in this case is one of justice. However, he also said, “Even though we have repeatedly reminded the public to be careful about the things they upload so that something like this would not happen, it seems like our assertions were not enough.” (“New rules mulled after activist’s death”, The Star, July 7; online at tinyurl.com/43jsnctu.)

Any insinuation that Esha would be safe had she just decided not to post on social media is victim-blaming. The idea that self- censorship keeps one safe is a perception that must be challenged. Everyone has the right to the freedom of expression. The crux of the issue is that digital spaces lack rules to appropriately protect and respond to the needs of those who are disproportionately targeted by online violence.

Following threats received, Esha filed a police report. How-ever, the lack of an appropriate and timely response from authorities suggests the normalisation of rape threats in our society. This signals the dire need for police to have survivor-centric response mechanisms in place to deal with such issues.

Esha’s tragic death must be treated with appropriate seriousness as it forms part of a pattern of harm towards women, affecting women’s participation in public life. According to the Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and Human Rights, one in five women face online sexual harassment. Women should be able to voice their opinions on social media without fear of receiving death or rape threats. These barriers to participation in public life in part contribute to women’s low political participation, with Malaysia’s ranking in the Political Empower-ment index in the Global Gender Gap report dropping from 122nd to 134th, out of 146 countries.

It is an encouraging first step that the Minister has promised to meet with the Malaysian Com-munications and Multimedia Commission, TikTok, and the Attorney General’s Chambers to address the issue of online harassment. WAO urges gender be centred in these conversations to ensure that solutions effectively address TFGBV and protect women, girls, and other minorities in the digital space.

WOMEN’S AID ORGANISATION