February Blog Post

As February brings conversations about love, relationships, and connections, it is an

important time to reflect on how technology is reshaping intimacy, safety, and justice.

While the internet has created powerful tools for communication and community-building, it also amplifies gender-based violence in new and deeply harmful ways.

Online gender-based violence is not separate from real-world inequality. It reflects

existing power imbalances. According to Statistics Canada, women are significantly more

likely than men to experience online harassment, including threats, unwanted sexual

messages, and non-consensual sharing of intimate images. Gender-diverse people,

Indigenous women, racialized women, and women with disabilities face higher levels of

digital abuse.

At first glance, online harassment might seem less serious than physical violence.

However, research from UN Women explores the idea that digital violence can have serious

psychological, economic, and social consequences. It can limit women’s overall

participation in social life, silence their voices in political and professional spaces, and

create long-term insecurity. Additionally, in many cases, online harassment escalates into

Oline harm.

One main concern is the evolution of technology enabling new forms of

harassment. AI tools can now be used to manipulate images, create fake social media

profiles, spread false information, and more. When legal systems and policies are not up to

date with technological developments, victims are often left navigating complicated

reporting systems with very limited protection and/or solutions.

The impacts go beyond individuals. Research from Pew Research Center has found

that women who experience severe online harassment are more likely to report emotional

distress and change how they use their online platforms. When women and gender-diverse

people withdraw from their digital spaces, public conversation becomes less inclusive and

representative.

Online violence also interacts with structural inequalities. Technology is frequently

used as a tool of coercion and control in cases of intimate partner violence, including

monitoring through devices, social media, etc.

Through a feminist lens, we should ask:

• Do current Canadian laws address emerging forms of technology-facilitated abuse?

• How can platforms be held accountable for protecting users from gender-based harm?

• What supports are available for survivors navigating both legal and technological systems?

Advocacy should push for:

• Clear accountability standards for social media and technology companies.

• Accessible legal education so victims understand their rights.

• Trauma-informed support services that recognize the realities of digital abuse.

Gender equality cannot exist if women and gender-diverse people feel unsafe and

uncomfortable in digital spaces. Technology is not neutral – it reflects the values of the

society that builds it. Addressing online gender-based violence is about ensuring that

connection does not come at the cost of safety and equality.

Resources

Statistics Canada. (2021, April 26). Intimate partner violence in Canada, 2018: An overview.

Government of Canada. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-

x/2021001/article/00003-eng.htm

Pew Research Center. (2021, January 13). The state of online harassment.

https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2021/01/13/the-state-of-online-harassment/

Canadian Women’s Foundation. (n.d.). Online hate and cyberviolence.

https://canadianwomen.org/the-facts/online-hate-and-cyberviolence

Government of Canada. (n.d.). Fact sheet: Technology-facilitated gender-based violence.

Women and Gender Equality Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/women-gender-

equality/gender-based-violence/technology-facilitated.html