Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) urges the communications ministry to take seriously tech-facilitated gender-based violence following the death of TikToker and Hindu activist Rajeswary “Esha” Appahu.
Tech-facilitated gender-based violence is defined by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) 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 wellbeing.
The online harassment faced by the 30-year-old is more than just an issue of cyberbullying, but a case of tech-facilitated gender-based violence, as the threats levelled against Esha 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 had also made a statement, saying, “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.”
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 community perception that must be challenged. Everyone has the right to the freedom of expression and information.
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The crux of the issue is that digital spaces lack governance and rules to appropriately protect and respond to the needs of those who are disproportionately targeted by online violence.
Following the threats received, Esha filed a police report. However, the lack of an appropriate and timely response from authorities suggests the normalisation of rape threats within our society. This signals the dire need for police to have survivor-centric response mechanisms in place to deal with such issues when people come forward.
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 and post on social media without fear of receiving death or rape threats to silence them, even more so when they are activists.
These barriers to participation in public life have extensive implications, in part contributing to women’s low political participation, with Malaysia’s ranking for the political empowerment index in the Global Gender Gap report 2024 dropping from 122nd to 134th out of 146 countries.
It is an encouraging first step that the minister has promised to meet the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), TikTok and the Attorney General’s Chambers to address the issue of online harassment.
The WAO urges for gender to be centred in these conversations to ensure that solutions effectively address tech-facilitated gender-based violence and protect women, girls and other minorities in the digital space. – WAO
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