Many women in Mon State experience online sexual abuse: Support is limited.

July 14, 2022

HURFOM: Many women in remote villages in Mon State are experiencing sexual abuses on their social media platforms such as Facebook and Messenger. Most have very limited information or support on how to handle this form of sexual abuse.

“My niece had a fight with her lover and they were apart but the boy wasn’t satisfied with the situation and released (private) photos on Facebook. We didn’t know what to do and how to solve the problem. As we knew nothing about laws, we had to stay in silence,” said the aunt of the victim.

The situation is leaving many women with a sense of loss and confusion.

“After being apart, the girl had a new boyfriend. Her late boyfriend was angry with her and released (private) photos. The girl was too frightened to face the consequences, so she eloped with her new boyfriend,” said one of her neighbors.

Women in Mon State are experiencing more violence since the coup and they have also lost their right to legal protections. Reporting incidents to local authorities often involves having to pay a bribe to file a report.

“If someone requests help to deal with situations of sexual violence, we try our best to help them. Now, we’re planning to organize a training to educate teenagers about the laws and procedures related to gender based violence,” said a woman activist.

According to a local source, most women experiencing online sexual abuses are in the 15-20 age range.

Written by Modinator · Filed Under News