100 Women 2015: Social media 'fuels gender violence'

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-34911605

100 Women 2015: Social media 'fuels gender violence'

Mobile devices and the internet can be powerful tools, but they can also be weapons - the UN has issued a "wake-up call" about cyber violence against women.
It says it can be just as damaging as physical abuse, especially as technology can now reach remote corners of the world.
When young British actress Emma Watson spoke up for gender equality at a United Nations meeting, she didn't know she was making herself a target of relentless stalking by a global mob.

Neither did video game developer Zoe Quinn know that she would suffer abuse as a result of stepping into a male-dominated world - the hate campaign, nicknamed Gamergate, started when Ms Quinn's ex-boyfriend falsely accused her of having exchanged sex for positive media coverage.

Similarly, Hollywood star Jennifer Lawrence found herself the victim of a "sex crime" after her nude photos were leaked and endlessly distributed in the digital space.
It is time for a "world-wide wake-up call", says the UN.

The UN estimates 95% of all aggressive and denigrating behaviour in online spaces is aimed at women.

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