BRAC University Seminar Highlights Rising Digital Violence Against Women, Calls for Prevention and Policy Reforms
Women face the highest levels of harassment on social media, with a single offensive comment often gaining traction through repeated pop-ups, eventually going viral. Additionally, distorted images and misinformation continue to spread at an alarming rate. While digital violence exerts a more profound impact in the virtual world than in reality, the government remains inadequately prepared from both technical and legal perspectives. Consequently, experts urge heightened caution while navigating digital platforms. They emphasize that "prevention is better than cure" and recommend a collective defense mechanism to combat digital crimes. Furthermore, they advocate for the inclusion of digital literacy and responsible online behavior in school curricula from an early age.
These recommendations were made by speakers at a seminar organized by Cyber Support for Women and Children (CSWC) Network on the occasion of International Women’s Day. The event was held on Wednesday at the BRAC University auditorium in Merul Badda, Dhaka, in collaboration with the university’s Peace Café organization. The discussions focused on how women and children become victims of digital crimes, measures for prevention, and the legal assistance available. The speakers also stressed the need for extensive research on the subject.
The seminar began with an opening speech by BRAC University Registrar David Dowland. Other speakers included Campus Life Joint Director Tahsina Rahman, Center for Peace and Justice Director Manzoor Hasan, and UN Women Chapter’s Monitoring and Reporting Analyst Tania Sharmin.
Additionally, BLAST’s Senior Legal and Research Officer Monisha Biswas and DRL Research Coordinator Minhaj Aman presented two research-based papers on digital crimes. Cyber Teens Foundation Founder Sadat Rahman delivered a welcome speech.
Representatives from CSWC’s partner organizations also attended the event. Among them were IID Research Officer Arafa Akter, BLAST Program Specialist Farzana Fatema, trainees Asif Ahmed and Harisur Rahman, Naripokkho’s Ferdousi Akter, Article 19 Program Officer Jannatul Ferdous, CCAF President Kazi Mustafiz and Vice President SM Imdadul Haque, Human Rights Support Society Program Officer Saiful Islam, Bangladesh Mahila Parishad lawyer Soumik Sharif Shaon, and Ardhya Foundation Curriculum Developer Wasima Farzana.
