Protection From Violence 2.0
Words by Heather Lennox | Designed by Sandra Dammizio | Reading time: 11 minutes
Of the more than 5 billion internet users globally, estimates suggest that one in three is under 18 years old.
How do we help protect children from violence in a digital-first world?
Staying Safe Online
Chimène, 20, from Benin, knows first-hand the perils of online platforms, having been a victim of online sexual assault and deception after accepting a call from a stranger on Facebook.
“He was masturbating in front of the camera,” she says. “I got scared and cut off the call.”
Another time, she applied to a job posting online where the job was nothing like how it had been described.
“I left my number. A few days later, I found myself in a WhatsApp sex group,” she says. “[I was told] I would have to give my body in exchange for sex. I withdrew, but I was traumatized for a long time.”
She adds that teaching digital literacy to girls is key to tackling misinformation and disinformation, and it’s one of the goals of the Plan International Girls Out Loud group that she participates in.
And in an era of hashtags and highlights, every swipe, click or tap opens a window to a new world, where children (especially girls) and women can face an entirely new frontier of violence — online.
Despite the mounting calls on tech companies, the media and regulators for swift and collective action and the rolling adaptations by social media giants to their global safety policies, protective measures are lagging behind in this 2.0 reality. It’s like handing children and young people a shiny new toy without the safety manual.
“
It is important and urgent to teach digital literacy to girls,
because digital skills can eliminate these evils.”
– Chimène, a participant in Girls Out Loud
In Burkina Faso, 16-year-old Mélissa developed an infection after following medical advice she read on a
post on Facebook.
The post had misinformation about female hygiene, stating that it was necessary for girls to use scented soap to clean their vaginas and to stop vaginal discharge.
Not knowing that white discharge is normal, Mélissa believed she already had an infection. Afraid to tell her parents, she began to wash her intimate areas with more soap, leading her to develop symptoms such as vaginal itching.
She finally told her mother about her symptoms and was promptly taken to a gynecologist. The doctor explained how using scented soap eliminates the natural bacteria that protect the vagina from infection. He also provided Mélissa with the information she needed to understand and make healthy choices about female hygiene.
Tuyet, a Champions of Change project participant, uses her mobile phone to watch videos on TikTok at her home in Vietnam.
What do you picture when you hear the word violence?
At first, you might think of the physical or psychological harm caused by armed conflict or
gender-based violence. It could also remind you of the deeply embedded social and cultural
norms that perpetuate harmful practices such as female genital mutilation and child marriage,
or it might prompt you to consider the fallout from worsening global crises like climate
change and global hunger.
Certainly, these all reflect the traditional sense of violence. But here’s a twist – a “2.0” update.
Protection from Violence Goes Digital
!
The Truth Gap:
Misinformation and its Impact
Plan International’s State of the World’s Girls: The Truth Gap report underscores this digital dilemma.
From February to March 2021, more than 26,000 girls between the ages of 15 and 24 were surveyed and interviewed across 36 countries. The findings revealed the grim consequences of misinformation and disinformation online and highlighted their detrimental effects on girls and young women.
From causing fear for personal safety to affecting mental health, the spread of false information online is a virus that can wreak havoc on young lives.
Youth Champions of Change project participants use a mobile phone to sign
a girls’ petition to prevent the spread of disinformation online in Vietnam.
!
Read more
State of the World's Girls:
The Truth Gap report
Chimène, 20, is helping create safe spaces for girls online as a member of Plan International’s Girls Out Loud group in Benin.
Misinformation is Rampant
The misinformation Mélissa read online led her to experience physical and psychological harm. It also caused her family to endure the financial burden of multiple visits to a doctor, medical tests and treatment.
Following her experience, Mélissa joined Plan International's Girls Out Loud program, which provided her with a platform where she could advocate for digital literacy.
“
I think it’s very important to teach people digital literacy, because it’s the basis of our daily life.”
- Mélissa, a Girls Out Loud advocate
Nearly 9 in 10 girls and young women (87%) think misinformation and disinformation online has had
a negative impact on their lives.
Mélissa, 16, partners with Plan International through Girls Out Loud to promote digital literacy among young people, especially girls, in her community.
Statistics & Facts
on experiences with misinformation online
Tackling Tradition:
Seeing the Old in the New
Fifteen-year-old Rukshana from Nepal illustrates how old and new forms of violence intersect. She says that traditional beliefs held by her family and community put girls like her at imminent risk for child marriage – and that those same beliefs also limit her access to the internet, because her parents do not understand the technology and want to protect her from it.
“I heard of a girl who committed suicide because her photo was stolen and was posted on the internet. My family thinks they are protecting me by limiting my access to the internet and technology,” she shares.
As a result, Rukshana feels “deprived of a whole new world” of opportunities.
A Girls Out Loud participant in Nepal uses her mobile phone to take a selfie with other group members.
Rukshana, 15, reads a petition to help bring change to more girls’ lives by promoting access to education and digital literacy.
“
You can get news from all over the world, share your creativity, talent
and knowledge, as well as build your skills through the internet.
Depriving [girls of] the use of the internet means depriving people of all these things. So, girls should be free to be online.”
– Rukshana, a participant in Champions of Change
With support from Plan International’s Champions of Change program, Rukshana is claiming her space in the digital world, challenging social and gender norms to stop child marriage and increase girls’ confidence and awareness about sexual and reproductive health rights.
She says that digital illiteracy and a lack of education are at the crux of the challenges faced by many girls and women in communities like hers.
“[Girls] should be able to freely access education, both through school as well as on the internet. The whole idea of a girl bringing shame to their family if she uses the internet or social media is wrong,” she says.
Learn more
about Plan International's approach to stop violence
Find out how the internet helped a child refugee in Kenya make connections and build a new life in Canada
Read more
Meet Ruth, a young woman in Malawi who is using technology to grow her fashion business
Learn more
Knowledge is Power Online
Y Bien, a 34-year-old Vietnamese mother, shares the same fears as Rukshana’s parents about her children becoming victims of online threats, which makes her reluctant to give them mobile phones.
“I’m afraid my children would not know how to use the internet properly and will be easily deceived or taken advantage of,” she explains.
Through an information session about cybersafety organized by Plan International in partnership with the provincial government in Vietnam, Y Bien learned about online scams such as high-interest loans and cross-border employment deceptions, as well as not to respond to malicious messages from strangers.
Y Bien says she now understands the benefits and dangers that the internet can bring and feels better equipped to teach her children about online safety.
Nguyet, a Champions of Change project participant in Vietnam, takes part in a workshop about online safety after being solicited through Facebook with a fraudulent job offer.
Y Bien, 34, shares the positive difference Plan International projects have made in her life and community in an interview with staff at her home in Vietnam.
Breaking the Glass Ceiling, Digitally
Rajyalaxmi is a 22-year-old woman who refuses to let threats in the digital world silence her.
Through Plan International’s Youth Reporters project, she has developed digital skills; now she is raising her voice against harmful practices and recognizing that it is essential for girls to protect themselves online.
“Even if girls are expressing themselves online, they have to face trolls, memes and even abusive comments about their profiles. Without their permission, their photos are edited and posted in unknown groups,” she says.
1 in 5 girls and young women (19%) say mistruths are so rife online that they have distrusted election results, and just as many have stopped engaging in politics or current affairs as a result.
“
This is how girls have been humiliated online. Online violence against girls is not acceptable. The local government should formulate laws and policies where adolescent girls can live in the society with dignity and respect.”
- Rajyalaxmi, a participant in the
Youth Reporters Project
Rajyalaxmi, 22, hands over a petition to the chairperson of her rural municipality in Nepal, as part of her advocacy efforts for the rights of girls to be free from violence online.
Looking Forward:
Protection from Violence 2.0
Each of these stories points to a clear need for protective measures. As we navigate this complex digital landscape of threats, Bhagyashri Dengle, executive director of Gender Transformative Policy at Plan International, urges: “We need to equip girls and all children for an increasingly digital world. That’s why we are backing girls’ calls for digital literacy to be included in their education.”
Protection from violence is not just a moral imperative but a human rights issue. That’s why programs such as Girls Out Loud and Champions of Change continue to help children and young people, especially girls, with
digital literacy skills.
Bhagyashri Dengle has partnered with Plan International to champion girls’ rights for more than 30 years.
Closing the Gap
The “digital divide” is not merely about access to technology; it’s also about safe and free engagement. As the world becomes more connected, it is our responsibility to help ensure that it becomes safer, too.
Girls should not be told to just take a break or log off. They should not be made to distance themselves from these spaces, which accommodates harassment and other forms of violence.
As our environments evolve, so too must our strategies for protection. It's time we caught up
with the update.
Plan International’s State of the World’s Girls: The Truth Gap report (2021) is the first large-scale global study to examine the gendered impact of misinformation and disinformation online.
More than a quarter of girls and young women surveyed (28%) have been led to believe a myth or “fake fact” about COVID-19 found online, and 1 in 4 (25%) have questioned whether to get vaccinated against the virus.
1 in 3 girls and young women report that false information is affecting their mental health, leaving
them feeling stressed, worried and anxious.
Nearly 7 out of 10 girls and young women (67%) have never been taught how to spot misinformation or disinformation at school or by family members.
False information online has left 1 in 5 girls and young women (20%) feeling physically unsafe.
Girls and young women from low- and middle-income countries are more likely to be affected by unreliable or false information online.
on protecting vulnerable groups from violence
Our Guiding Principles
Prevention
Our programs are aimed at addressing the root causes of violence and implementing preventive measures to stop it from happening in the first place. This involves promoting awareness, education and community engagement to change the harmful attitudes, behaviours and social norms that perpetuate violence.
Child-centred approach
We place the child at the centre of our protection efforts. We prioritize listening to and involving children in decision-making processes, ensuring that their voices are amplified, heard and respected. We also recognize the importance of empowering children to understand their rights, identify risks and protect themselves.
Gender-sensitive approach
We acknowledge that violence affects girls and boys differently, with girls often being more vulnerable to certain forms of violence due to gender inequality and discrimination. We work toward addressing gender-based violence and promoting gender equality by challenging harmful gender norms, advocating for girls’ rights and providing support to survivors.
Holistic support
We offer comprehensive support to children who have experienced violence or are at risk. This includes providing psychosocial support, counselling, access to healthcare, legal assistance and safe spaces where children can recover and receive assistance.
Collaboration and advocacy
We work with governments, communities, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders to advocate for policies and systems that protect children from violence. We work towards strengthening child protection mechanisms, improving legislation, and ensuring the enforcement of laws and regulations that safeguard children’s rights.
Read more:
Find out how the internet helped a child refugee in Kenya make connections and build a new life in Canada
Read more
Learn more:
Meet Ruth, a young woman in Malawi who is using technology to grow her fashion business
Learn more
Warning: This story contains graphic content and may be disturbing to someone who has experienced sexual violence or know someone who has.