Cambodia, Malaysia, Pakistan and the Philippines: Cross-country Study on Violence against Women and Information Communication Technologies

Sonia Randhawa, genderIT.orgⁱ writer and editor, compares the findings of four national reports from Cambodia, Malaysia, Pakistan and the Philippines undertaken by the APC WNSP as part of the project “Strengthening women’s strategic useⁱ of ICTⁱs to combat violence against womenⁱ and girls”.

Asia has been at the forefront of embracing new information and communications technologies (ICTs), and in using them to promote democracy and human rightsⁱ. From using SMSes to coordinate public protests in the Philippines, to circumventing the firewallⁱs of Burma and China, Asians have shown ingenuity in mobilising ICTs for innovative rights-based purposes. However, ICTs in the region have also been used to violate rights, through increased opportunities for censorship and surveillanceⁱ; whether surveillance by the stateⁱ, or by perpetrators of violence against women (VAW). This article looks at the intersection between ICTs and violence against women, an area often overlooked in the discourse on ICTs and human rights, which tends to focus primarily on issues of access and freedom of expressionⁱ.