On Friday 7 February, the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) published a report detailing a European measurement framework to assess and combat cyber violence against women and girls.
This is a methodological document resulting from a study carried out between March 2023 and April 2024 in the Member States to harmonise data collection and enable the Member States to better meet the requirements of the directive that came into force in spring 2024, which requires the monitoring of digital violence.
According to the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), 53% of content published on social networks contains hate speech, with women being the main targets in most countries.
The exponential advances in digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence and augmented reality, reinforces this situation through the manipulation of images and the dissemination of non-consensual content. Cyber violence takes different forms: cyber harassment, incitement to hatred, or the non-consensual sharing of intimate images.
EIGE believes that a precise measurement framework is needed to assess the extent of the problem and to adapt public policies accordingly.
The report proposes a methodology based on three indicators: prevalence (total number of cases), incidence (new cases reported) and reports made to the authorities.
The study also notes that at the time of the study, no Member State had an exhaustive monitoring mechanism in place beyond the police databases, which probably underestimates the extent of cyber violence. Furthermore, legal definitions vary from country to country, therefore making a coordinated response at European level even more difficult.
EIGE therefore advocates coordinated action and calls on the Member States to adopt clear and shared definitions of the various forms of cyber violence.
This measurement framework will not only improve the collection of data, but will also strengthen legal responses and prevention policies by providing policy-makers with a more accurate picture of the phenomenon.
Link to the report: https://aeur.eu/f/fff (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)