Gulf News

Online harassment of women

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gulfnews.com Bullying has devastatin­g effects

S adly, women being harassed online is increasing, especially between the ages of 18 and 29. Women face a disproport­ionate amount of online harassment resulting from their identity as women. This bullying can have a devastatin­g effect on both their personal lives and profession­al careers. Research is therefore required to produce key insights into empowering women and discouragi­ng perpetrato­rs. From Ms Wendy Anne Spencer UAE

Stay safe

I think we need to educate the women on protecting themselves online. Of course, men should be discourage­d from doing this, but in the meantime, stay safe. From Mr Antony Thomas UAE

Educate men!

I don’t agree with you at all, Mr Antony Thomas! Educate the men. From Ms Daisy Ipatzi UAE

Not a place for you

L og off and get a life. If you get so offended by internet comments, then good luck. The internet is harsh for everyone, and you can’t take it personally. From Mr Ali Hamdan UAE

Respect women

I don’t know why online harassment towards women is occurring. From Mr Noor Ul Islam Peshawar, Pakistan

Government­s should monitor

R ecent incidents and reports tell us that a lot of women are trapped and some have taken the drastic action of killing themselves. This is not a healthy trend as online sites with some bad elements create this problem. Recently, the Indian government has also seriously thought about monitoring this issue and implement strict laws to curb this. This issue should be tackled at the global level as more women seem to be affected from the West. From Mr K. Ragavan Bengaluru, India

Strict laws and help centres

I think there need to be stricter and clearer laws regarding cybercrime­s and online bullying to protect users, especially women, from being harassed, exploited and blackmaile­d by predators. Also, it is equally important that victims of cyberbully­ing are aware of where to seek help and report such cases instead of maintainin­g silence due to various fears.

People should understand that cyberbully­ing is a serious crime and can lead to dire consequenc­es such as psychologi­cal illness, suicide or severe depression if left unaddresse­d. On the other hand, men should treat their counterpar­ts with respect and appreciate their say on social forums rather than discouragi­ng or harassing them on the basis of their opinions. From Ms Fatima Suhail Sharjah

Ignore the bullies

A s a woman it’s better to avoid such forums on the internet. If it can’t be avoided, face it with pride. Every woman should know their worth. Bullying and harassment are forms of low self-esteem. Those who do these things have low self-esteem and take pleasure in deteriorat­ing others. Be strong. From Mr F. Jefmac UAE

All bullying is wrong

I t’s not just men that are harassing women online; other women, too, are doing it! You’d think we would stick together against such low acts. What about the women that troll your comments on social media because they think you should be home with your children? They might not be sexually harassing women as many men do, but they can be quite cruel as well. Cyberbully­ing in any form, from any person is wrong. From Ms Lili Maria Dubai

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