According to the Digital Rights Foundation (DRF), WhatsApp and Facebook were the most commonly utilized apps in Pakistan to harass women.
DRF, a Pakistani research-focused NGO, has released its annual report on the five-year cyber harassment helpline. The DRF’s helpline for combating online abuse and harassment will reach a five-year milestone in 2022.
In the last five years, the online harassment helpline has received over 11,681 cases. In 2021, there were 4,441 cases received, with an average of 370 instances each month. The months of March and September saw a spike in reports, while the remainder of the year was quite constant.
According to the Digital Rights Foundation, the most commonly utilized applications in Pakistan to harass women were WhatsApp and Facebook.
The DRF, a Pakistani research-oriented NGO, has released its annual report on the five-year cyber harassment helpline. DRF’s helpline, which combats online abuse and harassment, will reach a five-year milestone in 2022.
In the last five years, the online harassment hotline has received 11,681 incidents. In 2021, 4,441 cases were received, with 370 cases every month on average. The months of March and September saw a spike in reports, but the remainder of the year was fairly consistent.
68 percent of the calls were from women, 30 percent were from males, and the remaining 2% were from gender minorities. WhatsApp was the most commonly reported platform for harassment, followed by Facebook.
In 2021, 893 complaints were related to blackmail, and 727 incidents on the helpline involved the use of non-consensual photos, according to the study.
Nighat Dad, DRF’s Executive Director, said:
“The pace at which the cases of cyber harassment are increasing is alarming and must serve as a wake-up call for us to take appropriate action to make the internet a safe and equal space for everyone. Unless all key players take the measures for structural change, we will continue replicating the same discriminatory behaviors against vulnerable groups that we see and experience offline.”
The region’s first specialized helpline against cyber violence and harassment, the cyber-harassment helpline, was opened in December 2016. The toll-free number (0800-39393) is available Monday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and includes email and social media help.
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