The Canadian Women’s Foundation released Challenging Gendered Digital Harm, first of its kind research in Canada, that looks at how people, particularly women and gender-diverse people, experience online harm in Canada, including policy recommendations to address the urgent need for action.
Some of the research findings revealed:
- Over 60% of women, girls and gender-diverse people in Canada have experienced gendered digital harm.
- Driven by the rise of technology-facilitated violence, including harassment, unwanted sexual images, and identity-based abuse, 70% of this harm occurred in the past three years alone.
- The report underscores the disproportionate targeting of Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQIA+, young people (18-25) and people with disabilities who face higher rates.
Most (56%) of women and gender-diverse people in Canada think online content threatening physical violence against women and gender-diverse people is increasing. The report also reveals that 71% of women and gender-diverse people in Canada view social media spaces as public spaces.
With these findings, the report points to a need to recognize social media as a public space where safety is addressed with the same urgency and accountability as violence in physical public spaces.