Facilitating resilience to support survivors of technology-facilitated violence against women in MENA

 

In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, prevailing gender norms, patterns of inequality, power distribution and conflict dynamics are negatively affecting the rights, risks and opportunities of women and girls. Research on technology-facilitated digital violence against women (TFVAW) in the region shows that alarming percentages of women face one or more types of violence or harassment online. However, this trend is rarely covered at educational institutions, psychosocial service providers lack the knowledge and expertise to support victims/survivors, and most legal systems in the region do not have gender-sensitive approaches to cybercrime, nor do they focus on effective mechanisms to properly address these issues. Additionally, survivors of TFVAW are not socially or professionally supported to seek technical, legal and psychosocial assistance and are subjected to victim-blaming – which exacerbates their vulnerability. This calls for a comprehensive approach that addresses the connections between governance, mental health and education.

The goal of this project is to create enabling conditions for a resilient environment to support female survivors and victims of technology-facilitated violence, using Jordan and Iraq as pilot countries. The project will scale current research and knowledge on TFVAW and support new lines of research to fill identified gaps. The aim is to link governance through legal reform and advocacy, with educational empowerment for women in digital safety skills and resilience, and health (mental and psychosocial) support for victims and their communities.

Expected results include enhanced knowledge and capacities of key stakeholders in these countries, which will contribute to an improved policy and regulatory space based on evidence, research and knowledge translation.