ISLAMABAD: Digital Rights Foundation launched its latest study titled “Fostering Open Spaces in Pakistan”.
The study highlights the challenges that women information practitioners and journalists face online with the climate of censorship in the country and also gives recommendations and policy suggestions to make online spaces safer for women.
According to findings of the report, 80% of the women felt that the online abuse infringed upon their freedom of speech. However, only 14.2% had ever reached out to the FIA. Furthermore, 61.7% of the respondents expressed a “complete lack of trust” in the agency.
On fake accounts and trolls, the report noted that 85% women said the abuse mostly came from seemingly fake accounts and was often coordinated. According to a journalist, “Due to specific political views some months ago, I received 13 to 18 abusive messages per day. They all were fake accounts.”
The full report can be read here.
