76 per cent of women under the age of thirty are likely to cop online abuse; according to Australian Research, as conducted by Norton.
These figures come amidst the cyber-hate and online abuse that women receive on social media. Women are being told to “Sit on a butchers knife”, “Slut kill yourself” and “Get a knife and shove it through your neck” (SMH, 2016) all a result of speaking out.
In her Daily Life Column, feminist writer Clementine Ford said that,”Facebook’s methods for responding to abuse are useless” and that women are “ritually targeted by gendered harassment have to choose between removing themselves from the online world; or to try and create consequences for people in their everyday lives.”
One example of abuse Ford copped is below:
Less than a month ago, former St Kilda star Eddie McGuire made comments about wanting to drown journalist Caroline Wilson. This was made in retaliation to Wilson suggesting McGuire call it quits as Collingwood President. He later claimed it was a joke and was able to keep his presidency position. The media erupted over the lack of punishment McGuire faced and the double standards women face.
Twenty three year old Olivia was slut shamed on her profile on hookup app Tinder after a guy screenshot her profile and the taunting begun. Men told her: “Do me a favour go home and slap your mother obviously your father never did it enough”, “I’d rape you if you were better looking” “If I could f**k your mother if I seen her” and, “If anything you’ve proven the only good thing a woman’s mouth is good for is to get face f**ked till she turns blue and then have a man hot load shot straight down it.”
Clementine Ford believe women are “ritually targeted by gendered harassment” and have to choose between removing themselves from the online world; or to try and create consequences for people in their everyday lives.
Below is an example of online abuse that women in Sports face.
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