Calls for tougher measures to prevent violence against women and girls

Child abuse survivors have signed an open letter to the PM

Campaigners are calling for a violence against women and girls code of practice to be added to the Online Safety Bill which is currently going through Parliament.

Survivors of child sexual abuse have signed an open letter to the Prime Minister to include tougher protection, saying the legislation as it currently stands will not be enough to stop online predators.

They want an amendment to the bill to be debated in the House of Lords and for a code to force tech firms to be more responsible for the safety of women and girls online.

There is no specific mention in the legislation’s 260 pages of women or girls and only included is the provision to individually filter out abuse from view, rather than removing it entirely.

This is despite this group being disproportionately affected by online abuse: Research the NSPCC found more than 80 per cent of online grooming crimes are carried out against girls.

A recent report by the Internet Watch Foundation highlights that 96 per cent of child sexual abuse images they found in 2022 involved girls.

End Violence Against Women Coalition say that women are 27 times more likely than men to be harassed online and one in five women experience online harassment or abuse.

The letter has been backed by Sharon Gaffka, a former Love Island star and ambassador to domestic abuse charity Refuge. It’s also been signed by broadcaster and campaigner Charlie Webster and Natasha Devon MBE, a writer, presenter and activist.

According to i, the letter says: “Whilst our experiences are different, we have all been ignored and overlooked by technology companies who have not taken violence experienced by women and girls online seriously enough.  

“If companies are not required to do this, the specific risks women and girls face will continue to go unaddressed.”

There are concerns about the rise of toxic social media influencers such as Andrew Tate, a former Big Brother contestant who gained notoriety online for a string of offensive comments about women. His enormous following online has sparked fears young men are being radicalised.

He is currently under house arrest after he and his brother Tristan were released from jail over allegations of human trafficking and rape. He denies the charges.

A Government spokesperson said it is committed to protecting women and girls online. “The Online Safety Bill will tackle child sexual exploitation and abuse, ensuring tech firms fulfil their moral duty not to blind themselves and law enforcement to the unprecedented levels of exploitation on their platforms.”


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