Being harassed behind the screen

• How social media-based female entrepreneurs are more vulnerable to cyber harassment 

By Dishani Senaratne 

“The main reason I started my online greeting card business was I needed to cover my expenses at the university. Six or seven months later, I started getting obscene pics from an unknown number. Before that, I used to get so many missed calls from the same number,” Naduni paused to take a deep breath. “My inbox was almost full. I felt angry and sad. I couldn’t do anything for so many days,” Naduni recalled.  

Her traumatising experiences are a mirror of the less-discussed digital threats and risks facing female entrepreneurs while interacting with online communities ranging from the use of discriminatory expressions to non-consensual dissemination of intimate photos/videos (revenge porn). 

At a glance, Naduni’s disturbing experiences are indicative of how online-based women entrepreneurs are more vulnerable to harassment and abuse owing to disclosure of personal information on the digital space. Upon close analysis, it is evident that online harassment is more likely to be gender-based and is an ugly manifestation of patriarchal power relations in which men were positioned as superior to and dominant over women.

The e-commerce landscape reached new heights with the emergence of social media thanks to their low investment and operating costs and wide audience. As most women are expected to perform domestic duties, engaging in a business within the confines of their homes without having the need to go outside often seems like a perfect fit. A preliminary study conducted by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) last year identified that around 70% of social media-based businesses in Sri Lanka are owned by women.  

More recently, the outbreak of the pandemic ignited a boom in online shopping, much to the delight of most e-commerce entrepreneurs. Ironically, what had started off as a blessing in disguise turned into a terrible nightmare for some female entrepreneurs. “During the lockdown people were stuck at home and started to order things online more and more. But I also got so many nuisance calls. It was very depressing,” Karthika recounted the shadow pandemic of cyber harassment faced by women entrepreneurs that surged during the pandemic. 

Sadly, women in Sri Lanka are not alone in being exposed to harassment on social networks. In 2018, Amnesty International stated that 23% of women polled in eight countries have experienced online abuse or harassment. Such numerical data paint a grim picture of safety and privacy of women in cyberspace across the world. 

On the other hand, there have been cases of women entrepreneurs falling prey to online tricksters because of limited in-person interaction inherent in e-commerce. “Preserving the authenticity of a product once it is publicised on social media is another challenge,” Inspire Me YouTube Channel Founder/CEO Nayanika Wijekoon stated how replication of products by copycat competitors has become a pain point in this digital age. “We encourage budding entrepreneurs to spread the word first and then use social media as a launching pad,” Good Market Co-founder Achala Samaradiwakara shared a good practice that could be adopted for businesses pushing the boundaries of innovation.

However, recent studies indicate most female entrepreneurs still remain offline due to lack of skills in technology coupled with barriers to accessing the internet. A 2014 study jointly conducted by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and Oxfam International Sri Lanka revealed that only 55% of female respondents engaged in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) had stated that it was easy for them to find technology. That being said, the shift from online to offline is a rarity among female entrepreneurs in spite of having access to internet, Women in Management Founder and Chairperson Dr. Sulochana Segera stated. “If their monthly target is achieved, it is quite adequate for most women,” Dr. Sulochana urged female entrepreneurs to go beyond the digital world.  

The women who are in public eye like politicians, journalists and artistes have also become ‘easy targets’ of cyber harassment. Last year, Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) National List MP Diana Gamage who voted in favour of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution became a prominent object of ridicule on social media, albeit several other male MPs who did likewise were largely spared from sexist online attacks. The conduct and behaviour of women who engage in politics is constantly policed in the digital space, unlike in the case of their male counterparts, women’s rights activist Shreen Abdul Saroor noted. In a pre-2020 general election interview, academic-turned-politician Dr. Harini Amarasuriya echoed that cyber harassment prevents women from public positions. 

On the other hand, career choices of female journalists are questioned including being labelled a ‘traitor’ for writing articles focusing on the ethnic question, a 2019 report titled Opinions, B*tch: Technology-based Violence Against Women in Sri Lanka revealed. Jointly published by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), Ghosha and Hashtag Generation, this study also highlighted how the LGBTIQ community employs a range of actions to avoid and minimise violence and harassment online such as adding people only they know or having a large pool of mutual friends and maintaining multiple profiles across various online platforms. 

More recently, the racist and misogynistic insults thrown at the winner of Sirasa Lakshapathi Shukra Munawwar exemplified how women and girls who are thrust into limelight, particularly those who come from ethnic and religious minority groups, are more susceptible to cyber harassment. 

One might argue that the practice of hiding or deleting nasty comments is at the user’s fingertips which might sound like a simple solution. Yet, removing a single malicious comment can perhaps snowball into a wave of social media insults. Urging women to stay strong in the face of hateful comments fails to address the root cause of online harassment. Unarguably, social networks should take on more responsibility for creating safe and secure digital spaces for everyone, sans putting the onus on users. 

However, responses to cyber harassment shows that creating online safe spaces for women is still an uphill task. “My husband called and shouted at the guys who kept on messaging me on WhatsApp. Then, it stopped,” Fathima narrated how she was compelled to turn to her partner for help when confronted with the problem of harassment from a messaging app. Even though the sentiments of men who intervene in women’s issues may be well-intended, the patriarchal narrative of the presence of a male figure for ‘protection’ infantilises women, taking away their power and autonomy. 

Given that men often act as perpetrators of online harassment, it comes as no surprise that the intensity and frequency of propagation of hate speech by women is significantly minimal. Yet, India’s recent social media furore over actress Rajini Chandy’s photoshoot is evident of how women bully their own kind, contrary to popular belief. Such episodes show that gender polarisation becomes a barrier to have meaningful conversations around online harassment. 

Are men immune to this epidemic harassment done by keyboard warriors? The relatively rare phenomenon of harassment and abuse targeting men is usually designed to hurt individual reputation seldom translating into offline violence. The bout of online trolling of Sri Lanka national cricket team for their perceived lacklustre performance is a case in point.

On paper, bringing the perpetrators to justice remains possible albeit cyber harassment is not listed as a separate offence in Sri Lanka’s legal framework. In reality, a general mistrust of the legal system as well as delays in court decisions act as disincentives for taking action. With the cultural taboos around women and communication, many suffer in silence shying away from seeking help from police. Making matters worse, the emotional and psychological impact of online harassment on women is less visible in the offline world, unlike physical violence directed at women. 

On a refreshing note, the Cyber Care App was recently launched with the support of the UNDP by a group of youth to raise awareness on cyber harassment among other features. The recent backlash against vicious trolling of the achievements and abilities of trailblazing Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) female pilots speaks volumes about the importance of standing up to cyber harassment. Perhaps, this year’s International Women’s Day is a good starting point, especially for government authorities and employers and business organisations, to better address the issue of cyber harassment enabling emerging women entrepreneurs to reach new heights.