End digital violence against Palestinian women

Dear friends, 

Thank you for supporting our project to end digital violence against Palestinian women. A year has passed since you received our last update. In the last eight months, we witnessed unprecedented violence against the Palestinian people in Gaza. In Israel, we saw serious digital violence against women and girls for social media activity against the war. With your help, Kayan was able to support those affected, and to train women how to secure their online presence. 

Since the start of the war, Israel has prohibited and persecuted online protests and statements against the war and even expressions of sympathy with the victims in Gaza. In addition to the authorities, public morale and individual people took an active role in online incitement against such protesters and opponents to the war, and even against those who did not speak out online in favor of the war. They were punished, threatened, and harassed. Cyberviolence reached very alarming points such as posting people’s pictures, names, ID numbers, children’s names and ages, and home addresses on social media and chat groups containing thousands of participants.  

Women were targeted in different ways than men, for example by threats that sensitive private information would be published if they don’t publicly support Israel. This is very effective, serious and potentially life-threatening in the context of our society, and this context is being exploited for political maneuvers, a well-known tool by Israel for controlling the Palestinian people. 

Since October, Kayan’s hotline handled 25 cases regarding cyberviolence in relation to the war. The hotline was open around the clock, seven days a week. It provided support and emergency services that addressed women’s needs related to digital violence, including providing legal consultation to ensure understanding of legal rights; providing emotional support; and providing understanding of social context and security issues.  

Another important field of work was digital awareness training. As early as October 22nd, we organized the webinar “Freedom of Expression in the Light of War”, facilitated by a programming and information security engineer who answered the most pressing questions and concerns raised by the persecution and harassment on social media, and explained how women can protect themselves online. 162.000 people watched the recording of the Webinar on Facebook. 

With your help, we will continue to prevent digital violence, cyberbullying and online harassment, educate women and girls about their rights and methods of protection, and provide legal and psychological support forthe victims. 

We are so glad to have you on our team! 

Nisreen Tabari, 

Director, Kayan – Feminist Organization

Links:

• Webinar "Freedom of Expression in the Light of War" October 2023