Intersection of Technology and Online Gender Violence in India

Abstract

This study deals with online gender violence in India which is done with the aid of new advanced technology, its various forms and its causes. Online gender violence is the result of blend of digital revolution in the form of access of internet and social evil prevailing in society. Gender based violence is quite common in India. It is a harsh reality that the women in India have been ill-treated for ages in our male dominated society. She is not only robbed of her dignity and pride by way of seduction by the men outside, but also, has become a victim of cruelty by her saviors, within the four walls of her own house. The phenomenon of violence against women arises from patriarchal notions of Indian society. Gender violence is not a new concept in India it has been around in the Indian society for a long time only with the advancement of society it has changed its nature with its characteristics. Technological development has given rise to various new inventions in the virtual world especially in the field of Information technology in the form of digital communication which is considered to be one of the paramount gifts of modern day development of technology and science. But these gifts are being misused for harassing women in cyber space known as online violence against women. Online gender violence in India is another type of violence against women which is encouraged by internet and information technology which has given birth to new kind of crime against women called as cyber or online crime against women. Women who are often seen as at risk or who experience high volume of online harassment and are easily targeted via new avenues of harassment and violence such as cyber stalking, morphing, pornography, online defamation, blackmailing. Technology has integrated into pre-existing forms of criminal violence and harassment against women. This shows that women are not only subject to physical gender violence but are also subject to online gender violence which is increasing day by day with great extent. These online gender violence shows that there was a change to the background or scenery of crime and criminal justice system. In spite of several of legislations, efforts of government and judiciary the percentage of online gender violence is increasing day by day. So there is an urgent need to find the measure to cope up with the menace of online gender violence.