{"id":1331,"date":"2018-03-20T04:06:52","date_gmt":"2018-03-20T04:06:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/e-vaw\/?page_id=1331"},"modified":"2018-04-26T10:53:58","modified_gmt":"2018-04-26T10:53:58","slug":"key-recommendations","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/e-vaw\/key-recommendations\/","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"1331\" class=\"elementor elementor-1331 elementor-bc-flex-widget\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-section-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-f7aa46d elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"f7aa46d\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-17186f0\" data-id=\"17186f0\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bba1c32 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"bba1c32\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-05da700 elementor-section-stretched elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"05da700\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;stretch_section&quot;:&quot;section-stretched&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-29cc1f9\" data-id=\"29cc1f9\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d3ff6c9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"d3ff6c9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Key recommendations for institutional change on gender-based cyber violence: Call for endorsements<\/h1>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-deb3f79 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"deb3f79\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7fae064\" data-id=\"7fae064\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d75c468 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"d75c468\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img src=\"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/e-vaw\/wp-content\/uploads\/elementor\/thumbs\/Key-recommendations-for-institutional-change-on-gender-based-cyber-violence\u200b-6-po2j7j11erci9ry6b72h196z4w402e1xbbbv8ata4m.png\" title=\"Key recommendations for institutional change on gender-based cyber violence\u200b (6)\" alt=\"Key recommendations for institutional change on gender-based cyber violence\u200b (6)\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-66f261e elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"66f261e\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7f21847\" data-id=\"7f21847\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-82dc012 elementor-align-right elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"82dc012\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"mailto:itfc@itforchange.net\" class=\"elementor-button-link elementor-button elementor-size-xl\" role=\"button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-icon elementor-align-icon-left\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"fa fa-mail-reply\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">ENDORSE<\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-14e5264 elementor-section-stretched elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"14e5264\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;stretch_section&quot;:&quot;section-stretched&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-52f04b4\" data-id=\"52f04b4\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8d5d3ee elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"8d5d3ee\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><h2>Introduction<\/h2><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-9b34feb elementor-section-stretched elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"9b34feb\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;stretch_section&quot;:&quot;section-stretched&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-a1fc3a6\" data-id=\"a1fc3a6\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b78d997 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b78d997\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-text-editor elementor-clearfix\">\n\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 1rem;\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/e-vaw\/national-dialogue-2018\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Dialogue on Gender-based cyber violence<\/a> was organized by <\/span><a style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 1rem;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.itforchange.net\/\">IT for Change<\/a><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 1rem;\">, and the <\/span><a style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 1rem;\" href=\"http:\/\/cws.tiss.edu\/\">Advanced Centre for Women\u2019s Studies<\/a><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 1rem;\">, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) at the TISS Mumbai campus between 1-2 February 2018. It brought together 75 participants &#8211; women\u2019s rights lawyers, digital rights, gender rights and media rights activists; feminist practitioners; and students to understand gender-based cyber violence and discuss how laws and institutional actors have responded and need to respond to the issues thrown up by the phenomenon.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif;\"><b>Gender-based cyber violence <\/b><b>in India <\/b><b>cannot be discounted on the premise that <\/b><b>access to the Internet is low<\/b><b>.<\/b> Various panelists at the National Dialogue shared their professional and personal experiences of facing cyber violence. The grim reality is that from students, women journalists (from both metropolitan cities as well as smaller towns), women\u2019s rights activists writing online, to anyone from a discriminated gender location or sexual orientation who dares to exist online, the demographic and geographic extent of such violence is vast. Matrimonial courts in the country too are seeing that cases invariably have a tech element, underlining the fact that gender-based cyber violence is not just perpetrated by strangers, but often by known persons.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif;\">Since the union as well as state ministries of women and child development have shown an interest in tackling the issue, we felt that it is important to share some key highlights and recommendations that emerged from the National Dialogue, which the government may wish to take forward.<sup><a href=\"#sdfootnote1sym\">1<\/a><\/sup><\/span><\/p><p><style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t@page { margin: 0.79in }<br \/>\t\tp.sdfootnote { margin-left: 0.24in; text-indent: -0.24in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 100% }<br \/>\t\tp { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 120% }<br \/>\t\ta:link { so-language: zxx }<br \/>\t\ta.sdfootnoteanc { font-size: 57% }<br \/>\t<\/style><\/p><h2>Understanding what is gender-based cyber violence<\/h2><div><p><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 1rem;\">There are three broad ways in which gender-based cyber violence needs to be understood:<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif;\">Firstly, it may be seen as a continuum of offline violence. This builds on the fact that gender-based violence is structural and the structures of gender-based discrimination and exploitation offline are present online as well. So, for instance, stalking offline is often followed up by stalking online, and vice-versa. <\/span><\/p><p style=\"margin-bottom: 0.06in;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif;\">The second mode of conceptualizing cyber violence is to view the cyber and the real as parallel to each other. So, just as gender-based violence in the offline space is seen as causing harm that may be physical, psychological or sexual, gender-based violence online also causes harm that is physical, psychological or sexual. There is an equivalence of harm between the mediums, that is, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.unesco.org\/new\/fileadmin\/MULTIMEDIA\/HQ\/CI\/CI\/images\/wsis\/GenderReport2015FINAL.pdf\">cyber touch can be as harmful as physical touch<\/a>.<\/span><\/p><p style=\"margin-bottom: 0.06in;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif;\">The third approach accounts for differences between the offline and online. According to this, the online space and its distinct architecture must be acknowledged for the operational logic of gender-based cyber violence. Hence, jurisprudence developed for the offline world cannot be transferred to the online. Take for example the consent framework, a hard fought and partially won feminist battle, which may not apply very well on social media. The latter is programmed towards \u2018virality\u2019 or the quick spread of information facilitated by the network structures of the online, making it impossible to transact within the parenthesis of informed, meaningful consent. Further, the effects of consent online can acquire permanence, so mechanisms for revocation need to be consciously added. Features of the online &#8211; like invisibility, an<span style=\"background: transparent;\">onymity, time lag between <\/span><span style=\"background: transparent;\">occurrence <\/span><span style=\"background: transparent;\">of action<\/span><span style=\"background: transparent;\"> and <\/span><span style=\"background: transparent;\">felt <\/span><span style=\"background: transparent;\">impact, <\/span><span style=\"background: transparent;\">absence of physical co-presence and face to face communication, <\/span><span style=\"background: transparent;\">and absence of a visible authority figure policing the violence, etc. encourage a<\/span><span style=\"background: transparent;\">n<\/span><span style=\"background: transparent;\"> impulse<\/span> towards violence, referred to as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.learning-theories.com\/online-disinhibition-effect-suler.html\">toxic disinhibition<\/a>. While these individual characteristics may also be observed in offline violence, their confluence in online actions produces forms of violence unknown to the offline. <\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif;\">Legal frameworks must respond to gender-based cyber violence from a combination of the approaches listed above. <b>That the violence is different but not wholly separate from offline violence becomes key to such a paradigm shift.<\/b><\/span><\/p><h2>Recommendations for the way forward<\/h2><p><style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t@page { margin: 0.79in }<br \/>\t\tp { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 120% }<br \/>\t\ta:link { so-language: zxx }<br \/>\t<\/style><\/p><p><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/p><p><b>1. For legislative changes<\/b><\/p><p>1.1\u00a0Laws that seek to remedy gender-based violence must shed the protectionist framework.\u00a0They must recognize\u00a0that violence inhibits women\u2019s right to equality, dignity and privacy\u00a0(understood as bodily integrity, personal autonomy and informational privacy). Further, laws must underscore the fact that gender-based violence is an act of discrimination.<\/p><p>1.2\u00a0The law must recognize sex, sexual orientation and gender identity as legitimate grounds of hate speech.\u00a0This has already been suggested by the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/lawcommissionofindia.nic.in\/reports\/Report267.pdf\">L<\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/lawcommissionofindia.nic.in\/reports\/Report267.pdf\">aw\u00a0<\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/lawcommissionofindia.nic.in\/reports\/Report267.pdf\">C<\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/lawcommissionofindia.nic.in\/reports\/Report267.pdf\">ommission<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/currentaffairs.gktoday.in\/tk-viswanathan-committee-recommendations-deal-hate-speech-internet-09201748512.html\">T. K. Viswanathan expert committee<\/a>.\u00a0Gender-based hate speech, that may or may not be\u00a0sexual, is a form of gendered violence that seeks to deprive persons from discriminated gender locations of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/indconlawphil.wordpress.com\/2014\/03\/07\/book-review-jeremy-waldron-the-harm-in-hate-speech-and-the-relevance-for-indian-free-speech-law\/#comments\">dignity and equal participa<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/indconlawphil.wordpress.com\/2014\/03\/07\/book-review-jeremy-waldron-the-harm-in-hate-speech-and-the-relevance-for-indian-free-speech-law\/#comments\">tion<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/indconlawphil.wordpress.com\/2014\/03\/07\/book-review-jeremy-waldron-the-harm-in-hate-speech-and-the-relevance-for-indian-free-speech-law\/#comments\">\u00a0in society.<\/a>\u00a0While\u00a0acknowledging\u00a0the\u00a0historic marginality of some communities and\u00a0their vulnerability to harm caused by hate speech,\u00a0the law must\u00a0be drafted\u00a0within the reasonable restrictions to the freedom of speech and expression as provided by the Constitution.<\/p><p>1.3 Section 66E of the Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act) should explicitly include, in the clause on \u2018under circumstances violating privacy\u2019, the assumption that when a person shares a photograph with another, it is meant to be viewed by only\u00a0the other person\/persons and no one else, unless explicitly consented otherwise. Further, knowledge that no consent was\u00a0given\u00a0must be\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/e-vaw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/ITFC-DISCUSSION-PAPER.pdf\">interpreted at three levels<\/a>\u00a0:\u00a0actual knowledge<i>\u00a0(inferred from the conduct of the person\u00a0<\/i><i>whose image it is<\/i><i>),\u00a0<\/i>constructive knowledge\u00a0<i>(also known as knowledge in the second<\/i><i>\u00a0degree,\u00a0<\/i><i>attribut<\/i><i>able\u00a0<\/i><i>to\u00a0<\/i><i>a person\u00a0<\/i><i>if she\/he\/they<\/i><i>\u00a0deliberately d<\/i><i>id<\/i><i>\u00a0not make inquires when s<\/i><i>he\/he\/they<\/i><i>\u00a0should have) and\u00a0<\/i>knowledge in the third degree<i>\u00a0(<\/i><i>assigned to a person even if there\u00a0<\/i><i>was an<\/i><i>\u00a0unintentional failure to make inquiries,\u00a0<\/i><i>if,\u00a0<\/i><i>in the\u00a0<\/i><i>given the circumstances,\u00a0<\/i><i>it was\u00a0<\/i><i>reasonable to do so<\/i><i>).<\/i>\u00a0Such an interpretation will ensure that secondary\u00a0perpetrators\u00a0can also be held liable in legitimate circumstances.<\/p><p><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif;\">1.4 Section 66E of the IT Act must be expanded to punish the practice of morphing of images usually in sexually explicit ways without the consent of the person whose image is being morphed as well as the sending of images of genitals or pubic area to a person without her\/his\/their consent.<\/span><\/p><p>1.5 New legal provisions are needed to recognize the informational privacy of persons and punish acts of \u2018doxxing\u2019, that is, posting online of personal information like residential address, phone numbers, place of work, without the consent of the person whose information it is, with the intention of harassing that person or causing harm.<\/p><p><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif;\">1.6 Considering that the terrain of the digital is new, and existing laws apply imperfectly, drafting a new law that focuses exclusively on gender-based cyber violence may be\u00a0 required.\u00b2 Simultaneously, the IT Act and the IPC must be amended to address the issues raised above.<sup>\u00a0 \u00a0<\/sup><\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif;\"><sup>\u00a0<\/sup><\/span><\/p><p><style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t@page { margin: 0.79in }<br \/>\t\tp.sdfootnote { margin-left: 0.24in; text-indent: -0.24in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 100% }<br \/>\t\tp { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 120% }<br \/>\t\ta:link { so-language: zxx }<br \/>\t\ta.sdfootnoteanc { font-size: 57% }<br \/>\t<\/style><\/p><div><p><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif;\"><b>2. F<\/b><b>or policy development<\/b><\/span><\/p><p style=\"font-weight: normal;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif;\">2.1 To improve the prosecution of gender-based cyber violence, it would be important to invest in infrastructure such as special courts, cyber investigation teams and appoint state prosecutors specialized in cyber crimes.<\/span><\/p><p style=\"font-weight: normal;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif;\">2.2 Training investigating officers in the collection of digital evidence and developing guidelines or standard operating procedures for the collection of and presentation of digital evidence will encourage law enforcement officials to pursue cases of gender-based cyber violence. This could be one of the key points of the <span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: none;\">\u201cCapacity building programme for prevention of cybercrime against women &#8230;\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: none;\">that the <\/span><\/span><\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/naavi.org\/uploads_wp\/new\/mha_advisory_jan_2018.pdf\">Ministry of Home Affairs has in mind.<\/a><\/span><\/p><p style=\"font-weight: normal;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif;\">2.3 When employing apps for crisis support, it is important that sensitive data like location, photographs, contact lists that may be collected by the app is protected. Further, before the app is rolled out, a pilot study should be conducted in order to ensure that response is forthcoming at the time of emergency<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif;\"><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif;\"><b>3. For law enforcement agencies<\/b><\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif;\">3.1 Police must be aware of all provisions of the IT Act that can be applied to cases of gender-based cyber violence, and make use of both provisions of the IT Act as well as of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) while filing a First Information Report (FIR) on receiving complaints of such violence.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif;\">3.2 The police must acknowledge and be responsive to the multiple layers of violence when cases are filed. Persons at the intersection of multiple marginal social identities experience multiple types of discrimination online. Identity is central to acts of trolling. For instance, dalit women online are not only at the receiving end of sexist messages but also casteist slurs. So, while filing a FIR, it is not just the IPC or the IT Act that becomes applicable, but for instance, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 may also need to be utilized.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif;\">3.3 Women have noted that when they approach the police with experience of violence faced on social media or through their mobiles, they are often told to block the number or approach the social media intermediary themselves. While such advice can work concomitantly, it is the duty of the police to file a FIR for any legitimate infraction of the law that a complainant brings to the police. The burden of redress should not be shifted on to the complainant.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif;\">3.4 Gender sensitization of police officers is crucial if we are to work against the stigma complainants feel in reporting gender-based crimes. Further it would be important to recruit personnel from diverse gender and social locations to cyber cells. Police must realize that impact of gender-based cyber crimes on the complainant is as severe as the impact of physical acts and must be treated with the same urgency.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif;\">3.5 In cases of circulation of intimate images without the consent of the person whose image it is, the police must use consent based provisions like Section 66E of the IT Act rather than anti-obscenity based provisions like Sections 67 and 67A of the IT Act. The latter provisions can end up punishing the complainant if she\/he\/they shared intimate images with another\/others, but without consent to its circulation to a wider audience. Further, these anti-obscenity Sections are protectionist and do not seek to redress the person who has faced violence.<\/span><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif;\"><br \/><\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif;\">3.6 In some cases of gender-based cyber crimes, the complainant and the accused may reside in different states. In these cases, if the complainant approaches the police in the state she\/he\/they resides to file an FIR, the police must assist the complainant and file the FIR even if the case is not within its jurisdictional limits, as is\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.prsindia.org\/uploads\/media\/Justice%20verma%20committee\/js%20verma%20committe%20report.pdf\">recommended by the Justice <\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.prsindia.org\/uploads\/media\/Justice%20verma%20committee\/js%20verma%20committe%20report.pdf\">Verma Committee report<\/a>. After the FIR is filed it can be transferred to the police station in the correct jurisdiction. Refusal to file FIR can discourage the victim from filing a formal complaint altogether.<\/span><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif;\"><br \/><\/span><\/p><p><b style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 1rem;\">\u00a0<\/b><\/p><p><b style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 1rem;\">4. For internal complaints committees<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif;\">4.1 There must be a wider interpretation of harassment of women in workplaces, and educational institutions that includes harassment that is gender-based, but not necessarily sexual.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif;\">4.2 Gender-based harassment must include the experiences of those from marginalized and discriminated gender identities and sexual orientations. Anti-sexual harassment policies at educational institutions and at workplaces must specifically include persons from discriminated gender locations and sexual orientations within their ambit.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif;\">4.3 While interpreting gender-based harassment, the particular experience of each complainant must be accounted for.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif;\">4.4 Steps must be taken to guide a complainant on preserving digital evidence. The Internal Complaints Committee may also approach digital experts for advice on the recovery of evidence.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif;\"><b>5. <\/b><b>For educational institutions<\/b><\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif;\">5.1 Efforts must be taken to raise awareness on how to positively engage with technology, instead of banning the use of technology. Students must be provided the support needed to formally pursue cases of gender-based cyber violence.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif;\"><b>6. For Internet intermediaries<\/b><\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">6.1 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">There must be greater investment <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">for making users aware <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">about <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">existing <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">methods for <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">take down <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">of <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">content\/<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">images<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">such as <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.genderit.org\/articles\/facebook-intimate-image-filter\">image hashing<\/a>.<\/span><\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">6.2<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">Accountability mechanisms that comply with international human rights standards must be adopted, including due process measures like timely <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">response to complaints of gender-based cyber violence<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">releasing transparency reports on measures taken <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">when complain<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">t<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">s<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\"> are received.<\/span><\/span><\/p><p><style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t@page { margin: 0.79in }<br \/>\t\tp { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 120% }<br \/>\t\ta:link { so-language: zxx }<br \/>\t<\/style><\/p><\/div><p><style type=\"text\/css\"><\/style><\/p><\/div><p><style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t@page { margin: 0.79in }<br \/>\t\tp.sdfootnote { margin-left: 0.24in; text-indent: -0.24in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 100% }<br \/>\t\tp { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 120% }<br \/>\t\ta:link { so-language: zxx }<br \/>\t<\/style><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-9b5404a elementor-section-stretched elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"9b5404a\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;stretch_section&quot;:&quot;section-stretched&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-cdeced8\" data-id=\"cdeced8\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-55930e4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"55930e4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-text-editor elementor-clearfix\">\n\t\t\t\t1. A detailed event report can be accessed here: https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/e-vaw\/event-report\/\n\n<br>A blog on the highlights from the National Dialogue can be viewed here: https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/e-vaw\/event-blog\/\n<br>\n<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">\n<\/span>2.\u00a0 For example see the Philippines Anti Gender-based Electronic Violence Bill &#8211; https:\/\/www.senate.gov.ph\/lisdata\/2513321647!.pdf\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t@page { margin: 0.79in }<br \/>\t\tp.sdfootnote { margin-left: 0.24in; text-indent: -0.24in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 100% }<br \/>\t\tp { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 120% }<br \/>\t\ta:link { so-language: zxx }<br \/>\t\ta.sdfootnoteanc { font-size: 57% }<br \/>\t<\/style>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t@page { margin: 0.79in }<br \/>\t\tp { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 120% }<br \/>\t\ta:link { so-language: zxx }<br \/>\t<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-ef19a6b elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"ef19a6b\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-8046558\" data-id=\"8046558\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b131698 elementor-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"b131698\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"mailto:itfc@itforchange.net\" class=\"elementor-button-link elementor-button elementor-size-xl\" role=\"button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-icon elementor-align-icon-left\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"fa fa-mail-reply\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">ENDORSE<\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-1de68ef elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"1de68ef\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-9945180\" data-id=\"9945180\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f54ab44 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"f54ab44\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-0399ee4 elementor-section-stretched elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"0399ee4\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;stretch_section&quot;:&quot;section-stretched&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-eb7501c\" data-id=\"eb7501c\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a5368f7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a5368f7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-text-editor elementor-clearfix\">\n\t\t\t\t<h4><strong>Endorsement List:<\/strong><\/h4><p>1) Vibhuti Patel, Chairperson &amp; Professor, Advanced Centre for Women&#8217;s Studies, School of Development Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai<\/p><p>2) Sreeparna Chattopadhyay, Faculty, Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Bengaluru<\/p><p>3) Srijan Sandip Mandal, Faculty, Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Bengaluru<\/p><p>4) Shreya Sethuraman, Independent researcher<\/p><p>5) Partha Sarathi Sarkar<\/p><p>6) Dyuti Sudipta, Feminist researcher<\/p><p>7) Justice Prabha Sridevan (Retired), Madras High Court<\/p><p>8) Molly Ghosh, Faculty, Barrackpore Rastraguru Surendranath College, Barrackpore<\/p><p>9) J. Devika, Faculty, Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum<\/p><p>10) Radhika Radhakrishnan, Student, M.A. in Women&#8217;s Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai<\/p><p>11) Gayatri Menon, Faculty, Azim Premji University, Bengaluru<\/p><p>12) Archismita Choudhury, Media and Communications Coordinator, Breakthrough India, New Delhi<\/p><p>13) Divya G.S, Doctoral Student, School of Social Sciences Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai<\/p><p>14) Indumugi C -Student, BA., LL. B(Hons.) &#8211; Tamil Nadu National Law School<\/p><p>15) Saumya Bhandari<\/p><p>16) Asaf Ali Lone, Independent Researcher<\/p><p>17) Japleen Pasricha, Feminism In India<\/p><p>18) Sonali Kumar, Research Assistant, iCALL, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai<\/p><p>19) The YP Foundation (institutional endorsement from Manak Maitiyani, Executive Director)<\/p><p>20) Ayushi Singh. University School of Law and Legal Studies, GGSIPU, New Delhi<\/p><p>21) Shreya Sen<\/p><p>22) Shruti Kapoor, Sayfty<\/p><p>23) Kunal Parmar, Sayfty<\/p><p>24) Lakshmi Lingam, Faculty, School of Media and Cultural Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai<\/p><p>25) Ahmar Afaq, Assistant Professor, Symbiosis Law School, Hyderabad, Constituent of Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune<\/p><p>26) Shewli Kumar, Associate Professor &amp; Chairperson, GAC, Center for Women-Centered Social Work School of Social Work, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai<\/p><p>27) Asha Achuthan,Faculty, Advanced Centre for Women&#8217;s Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key recommendations for institutional change on gender-based cyber violence: Call for endorsements ENDORSE Introduction The National Dialogue on Gender-based cyber violence was organized by IT for Change, and the Advanced Centre for Women\u2019s Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) at the TISS Mumbai campus between 1-2 February 2018. It brought together 75 participants &#8211; &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/e-vaw\/key-recommendations\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_canvas","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/e-vaw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1331"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/e-vaw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/e-vaw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/e-vaw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/e-vaw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1331"}],"version-history":[{"count":52,"href":"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/e-vaw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1331\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1436,"href":"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/e-vaw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1331\/revisions\/1436"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/e-vaw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1331"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}