For the second consecutive year, the organization Bellamente and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Argentina united for the prevention of gender-based violence in digital environments and launched a campaign to raise awareness of the impact of this kind of violence on the lives of women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and young people.
As part of the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, this communication campaign includes two videos that bring visibility to and increase awareness of the issue.
Furthermore, in collaboration with the social consulting firm Libertate, accessibility of the content was ensured. Accessibility is a right and not only benefits persons with disabilities but also has a positive impact on everyone. It allows campaigns like this, which provide essential information for the elimination of violence, to be available without barriers. Both audiovisual pieces include Argentine Sign Language (LSA) interpretation, audio description, narration, and subtitles. Additionally, the content is accessible to screen reader users, with appropriate contrasts, among other features.
This year, the topics of the audiovisual pieces are:
- Cyberflashing, which consists of sharing sexual images without consent. The video shows how this violence affects a teenage girl who attends high school.
- Cyberbullying, which means harassment through the Internet. This piece shows the fear a teenager experiences in her daily activities while she is being virtually stalked by her ex-boyfriend.
This year's edition of “The Virtual is real” is followed by a context that supports the movement: the Congress of Argentina passed the Olimpia Law, a historic measure aimed at fighting digital violence and online harassment. This legislation, named after the activist for women’s digital rights, Olimpia Coral Melo, constitutes a significant protection step against gender-based digital violence, adding Argentina to the growing group of countries that recognize the need to ensure a safer and more equitable online environment.
According to The Economist Intelligence Unit in 2020, 85% of women around the world have experienced or witnessed digital violence against other women.
The Internet often becomes a hostile space where digital violence, in particular towards women, LGBTTIQ+, and other marginalized communities, is a reality that has a negative impact. Sharing intimate content without consent, online identity theft, virtual harassment, hate speech, and cyberbullying are forms of violence that undermine privacy, dignity, and rights.
In this context, the Bellamente Foundation and UNFPA Argentina join forces to strengthen "BodyRight”, a movement created to bring awareness to gender-based digital violence and promote real change in online protection for girls, teenagers, youth, and women worldwide.
"BodyRight” is a global campaign launched by UNFPA.
On the other hand, the initiative The virtual is real includes capacity-building activities for government agencies in Argentina, such as training sessions, guides, and materials to spread information and prevent digital violence in their communities.
All content is available on Bellamente Foundation webpage https://bellamente.com.ar/lo virtual-es-real-unfpa-y-bellamente/ and the communication channels of UNFPA Argentina.
