Feb 13, 2024
Staff Report
LAHORE:
The Network of Women Journalists for Digital Rights (NWJDR) strongly condemns the use of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) and Generative AI to target and silence women journalists in Pakistan.
In a recent statement issued on February 13, NWJDR expressed deep concern over the continuous online attacks against journalists Meher Bokhari and others by alleged supporters of the PML-N. These attacks have involved objectionable content created through generative artificial intelligence (AI), which has been shared online with sexist, misogynistic, and sexualised gendered attacks.
This alarming trend of using technology to perpetrate gender-based violence is not new. Women journalists have frequently faced threats of physical assault and offline violence from political party supporters, with their private information often leaked online. The recent attacks on Meher Bokhari further highlight this disturbing pattern.
The NWJDR statement, signed by 65 female journalists representing various media platforms, underscores the urgent need for action to address online violence and abuse. Female journalists, such as Maria Memon, Saadia Mazhar, and Benazir Shah, have been persistently attacked.
The Network demands that relevant authorities take complaint-based action against those responsible for online violence and abuse.
The latest attack on Meher Bokhari has sparked outrage among NWJDR members, emphasising the critical importance of addressing and combating technology-facilitated gender-based violence against journalists in Pakistan.
NWJDR released 6-point agenda released before the 2024 general elections to urge political parties to prioritise media freedom and journalist safety in their electoral manifestos.