Posted at 1:00 p.m.
Every day, a woman who speaks out in the public square pays the price. Insults, body attacks, harassment, rape threats, death threats are now the inevitable corollary of our most fundamental right to expression.
Do you still believe that women are not targeted more than men? They are 27 times more likely than men to be harassed online, according to the UN Broadband Commission for Digital Development. These acts mostly go unpunished and have serious consequences for the victims: anxiety, isolation, depression, suicidal thoughts, etc. Hatred of women online is destructive. It spares no one, especially those who dare to take part in political debates in the public arena.
In recent days, Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, and Marwah Rizky, Member of Parliament for the riding of Saint-Laurent, have been the targets of serious and troubling threats. This cyber-violence has serious consequences for women’s health: in August, Lisa-Maria Kellermayr, a 36-year-old doctor, took her own life following a campaign of cyber-harassment. The latter had asked for help: her call was ignored. Should we also remember that the British politician Jo Cox was assassinated following a macabre episode of online threats? It is time to take this issue for what it is: an attack on the physical and moral integrity of citizens and a threat to democracy. That’s enough.
When are we going to understand that these cyberviolences lead to harm and violence in the real world?
In the last seven years, for the making of our film Hail Bitch: Misogyny in the Digital Age1, we have seen a disturbing rise in misogyny on social media. We followed with our cameras courageous women, with strong words, whom we want to silence. Specialist Donna Zuckerberg confirmed it to us: “Social networks have amplified misogyny, giving it an unequaled level of violence. »
The consequences of this online misogyny? An anti-feminist and sexist ideology is gaining ground. But even worse, more and more women decide to leave the public sphere, will not go into politics, will not be journalists, because they know that this violence “comes with the territory”.
Are we going to accept this backsliding on women’s rights? When are we going to understand that what is at stake is democratic? The freedom of expression of citizens is trampled on by an uninhibited hatred. We must act.
An electoral campaign that forgot women
The five electoral platforms are silent on the issues of women’s rights and the scourge of cyberviolence. We implore the future candidates for the post of Prime Minister, François Legault, Dominique Anglade, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon and Éric Duhaime, to take a stand and commit to countering this endemic problem by fighting against impunity. aggressors and demanding that the Canadian government stand up against GAFAM (Google, Apple, Facebook [Meta]Amazon and Microsoft).
Claims
Women’s freedom of speech is a fundamental democratic issue. We are thus making clear demands to the leaders of provincial political parties. We want to be heard in order to put an end to the status quo.
Considering that the initial training of police service recruits does not deal with cyberviolence and cyberharassment, that files of this kind are handled by investigators, that a minimum of five years of seniority is required to participate in the process leading to this degree and that there is no continuous training produced internally on these subjects, we are asking the Government of Quebec to commit to integrating mandatory training for police officers on cyberviolence against women.
Considering that the complacency and the lack of framework of our governments vis-a-vis Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram give free rein to the rise of misogyny and cyber-violence against women, we must oblige the giants of the web, which run on controversy and hatred, to make their platforms safe places where women can express themselves freely. Inspired by the German Council of Ministers, we demand that the Government of Quebec put pressure on the federal government so that it adopts a law aimed at forcing social networks to delete “hateful” and “criminal” content under penalty of a severe fine of up to $50 million (this penalty is the same as that of the German hate content law).
When women’s rights are threatened, we must stand up.
1. The film is currently showing in cinemas in Quebec.