Simione Tuvuki 
Advocates have called for immediate action on violence against girls and women online, as the crime has extensive consequences compared to other forms of violence.
The call for action was made by the Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Lynda Tabuya at the UNFPA Young Women’s Forum on Tech-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence in Suva today.
She says the reality is clear in the statistics revealed the Online Safety Commission which states only 38.56 percent of men compared to 61.44 percent of women experience this form of violence.
Tabuya shared an important point on the sharing of images without consent, whether it is real or fake, it is equivalent to a rape which highlights the urgency to redefine how society perceives and addresses cybercrime.
“We must make that clear. A young woman has the right to be protected. She has the right to privacy. And when someone else puts that up without her consent, it is like rape. When you say no, it is a no.”
Tabuya says authorities are overwhelmed with cases of online violence, including non-consensual sharing of image, while many are unreported as victims and families fear judgement and discrimination in society.
“A huge issue that they deal with is what is called extortion. So someone who has pictures or images of a young woman will contact her parents and say to the parents, pay me $30,000 or I will put up these pictures.”
As the conclusion of the 16 Days of Activism draws closer, Tabuya has called on girls and women to be advocates for change, challenging them to reject the norm of tearing each other down but instead stand united against any form of bullying or harassment in cyberspace.
