Violence against women extends into the digital realm, a reality we confront daily. Reports of women and girls enduring online sexual harassment, threats, involuntary sharing of personal content, or cyberstalking have become commonplace.
In response, our Albanian partner organization, the 'Counselling Line for Women and Girls' (CLWG), offers counselling for women and girls who experience violence in the digital space.
Ejnxh Pepa coordinates the project on digital violence at CLWG and also ensures the interface with IAMANEH Switzerland. In April 2024, Ejnxh Pepa presented the CLWG's work in the area of digital violence at a Medicus Mundi conference in Switzerland and provided information about her work on this occasion.
Ejnxh Pepa, CLWG sets a new focus on violence in the digital space. What prompted this shift?
Ejnxh Pepa: We've observed for the past few years that digital violence against women and girls is a huge problem. There are numerous forms of violence against women and girls in the digital space and the consequences can be just as painful as violence that is perpetrated ‘offline’.
How can it be that violence in the digital space can be as harmful than « real » violence ?
Ejnxh Pepa: It is a form of real violence and can have the most serious consequences. In Albania, in the first two months of the year, there were eight suicides of women who had experienced violence that was carried out online and with technology. But legislation is not yet ready to recognise this violence as a form of domestic or gender-based violence and hold the perpetrators accountable accordingly.
What forms of violence are we talking about?
Ejnxh Pepa: Acts of violence online and offline often extend or reinforce each other. For example, a violent partner can intimidate or threaten a woman using online technology, even if the two are in separate locations. Sharing intimate images or threatening to publish them is also a form of violence. Cameras and GPS trackers are used for stalking, women are publicly insulted or threatened on online platforms, including threats of rape or death. Harassment and sexual exploitation of children and young people online is another issue in itself. In addition, many forms of violence can come together online, such as verbal, psychological and sexual violence.
What can the CLWG do in such cases?
Ejnxh Pepa: The CLWG has been offering support to victims of gender-based violence for years. We are the national helpline in Albania for women and girls affected by violence and can be reached around the clock via a free telephone number. We are therefore already in contact with many women and girls who experience violence. Now we are also specialising in violence in the digital space. This requires expertise on many levels. In addition to counselling, there is also the level of awareness-raising and political work, where we are also very active.
Please explain more about the acitivities on the different levels. Let’s start with what you do for women and girls who are affected.
Ejnxh Pepa: Our work is about protecting those affected, providing legal, psychological and social counselling and referring them to the right institutions. Women and girls who have experienced violence are often severely traumatised and insecure, they suffer health consequences and need a lot of support. In addition, we train women and girls in how they can protect themselves from digitally perpetrated violence. The risks can be minimised with technical knowledge. For example, many women have trackers activated on their mobile phones without knowing it.
What are the problems at a political level?
Ejnxh Pepa: Digital violence is not yet recognised and acknowledged as a form of violence in Albania. Law enforcement agencies have no means of dealing with it. We are therefore working with legal experts, but also with IT specialists and gender equality experts. We have drafted a bill that addresses digital violence and brings accountability for perpetrators.
The CLWG works with many institutions across the country, for example with the police. What is the aim of this work?
Ejnxh Pepa: The activities against gender-based violence must be coordinated. But too often, the various agencies are not yet working well together. Especially when it comes to violence in the digital space, there is a lack of knowledge not only among those affected, but also among the institutions that should be helping these women and girls. The police, for example, need the right infrastructure and the skills to be able to respond to digital violence. Both are still lacking in the vast majority of cases. We organise training courses for professionals and institutions from various sectors so that they can develop their skills in this area.
The CLWG is funded by the Albanian state to the tune of around 30% for its services as a national helpline. Why do you need private support and cooperation with organisations such as IAMANEH Switzerland?
Ejnxh Pepa: We need a certain degree of independence in order to fulfil our tasks. We act in the public sphere, draw attention to abuses in dealing with gender-based violence, etc. In a country with fragile democratic structures, it is important to remain autonomous.
You mentioned that awareness-raising work is important. What does this look like in concrete terms?
Ejnxh Pepa: For example, we work a lot with schools. We realise that pupils are often barely aware of digital violence. Some of them practise violence themselves but don't see themselves as perpetrators because they simply don't know where the violence starts.
Is there an example of this?
Ejnxh Pepa: Yes, young people often create ‘memes’, for example, which are images they use to comment on things. In Tirana, there is a community centre that offers extracurricular activities for children. And suddenly memes and pictures of children attending these activities started circulating, with the suggestion that only poor people attend this community centre. Nobody, not even the young people involved, saw this as a form of violence.
Violence in the digital space is an issue that affects almost everyone around the world in some way. What can others learn from the CLWG?
Ejnxh Pepa: That it is important to also work at a political and legislative level if we want to combat this form of violence. We will document and record our actions. It is becoming increasingly clear how important it is to recognise violence perpetrated online or using technology as such and to create opportunities for response and prevention. In Albania, there is still no mention of online violence on forms used to record violent offences. This is likely to be the case in many other places too, and we are raising awareness of this through our work so that something can change.
Inteview and video: Miriam Glass
