Online Violence Leaves Scars Тoo

A Campaign and New Approach in Combating Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence

January 16, 2025
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More than 60 percent of women in North Macedonia have experienced at least one form of online violence, with one in ten women facing online abuse daily. A high percentage of the women who have experienced technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TF-GBV), or 79%, did not report the incident anywhere, which indicates a lack of information about the protective mechanisms, but also possible mistrust in the institutions, as confirmed by the focus group participants. Most often, the violence is reported on the social media platform itself and to the police.

These findings stem from the Analysis of the Legal Framework Related to Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence, prepared as part of the “Combating Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in the Digital Sphere” project, implemented by UNDP North Macedonia in cooperation with the UNDP Seoul Policy Center. The project was financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, while the technical partner is the Korean National Police Agency.

In order to raise public awareness for identifying, preventing and reporting TF-GBV, UNDP launched the awareness campaign “Online Violence Leaves Scars Too” in November and December 2024.

 

For the campaign, three videos were created featuring authentic testimonies from girls and women who have experienced online gender-based violence. These videos vividly portray the violence, trauma, and fear that victims endure. Alongside these powerful narratives, the videos deliver encouraging messages urging victims to report such violence and issue a stern warning to perpetrators that online harassment and stalking are crimes. Additionally, the videos provide clear information on where and how to report incidents of online violence.

One of the campaign's most impactful activities was the guerrilla-style performance "It Leaves Scars" which we organized at a Cineplex movie theater.

We invited 90 high school students from two schools in Skopje to attend a movie screening without revealing the nature of the event. Among the audience, we placed two young actors—a boy and a girl. Before the movie began, the cinema screen displayed a simulated online chat between the two, where the boy threatened to release the girl’s intimate photos online if she refused to stay with him.

 

As the students watched, the actors staged a heated argument in the theater, capturing the audience’s attention. Their reactions—ranging from surprise to shock—were recorded by six hidden cameras installed in the venue.

After the performance, we revealed the setup, explaining its purpose and providing context about the campaign. This was followed by a screening of the Czech documentary Caught in the Net, which explores the exploitation of underage girls on the Internet.

The event concluded with a forum discussion, where students openly shared their perspectives and personal experiences with online threats and harassment.

The “Online Violence Leaves Scars Too” campaign successfully achieved its primary goal of raising awareness about the pervasive nature of technology-facilitated gender-based violence. Through diverse content shared on social media, traditional media, and other platforms, the campaign’s key messages reached a broad audience, with a specific focus on young girls and women under 30.

The campaign emphasized education and information, helping the public understand how to recognize online violence and where to report it. A key takeaway is that it significantly contributed to increasing awareness of this issue, particularly in North Macedonia, where much of the population remains unaware of the severity and prevalence of online violence or fails to recognize its serious consequences for victims.

There is a clear need to continue addressing this issue by strengthening institutional capacities to prevent and respond to cases of online violence. Equally important is the ongoing effort to inform and educate the public about the dangers present on social media, communication platforms, and the digital space.