A step towards gender equality: Combating digital gender-based hate speech and violence

The project ‘’Step towards gender equality: Combating digital gender - based hate speech and violence ”will contribute to strengthening gender equality and improving the position of women in Montenegro through implementation of activities aimed at combating digital gender-based hate speech and violence. 

The project places special emphasis on strengthening gender equality mechanisms through establishing a methodology and continuous monitoring of the media from a gender perspective. Related to this project will address women's capacity building to protect against digital gender-based hate speech and violence. Through this project, CeMI will conduct an information campaign through traditional and online media, which will result in improving the level of public awareness of the digital gender-based hate speech and violence, as a key factor in creating a social environment that would have a preventive function. 

This project is an upgrade on previous activities and projects implemented by CeMI in the field of monitoring gender responsive media and protection of rights and freedoms in the online space. Noticing the problem of non-transparency and insufficient protection of rights in the digital space, and more and more often the use of disinformation, false news and discrediting campaigns against women in politics in Montenegro, CeMI has launched a campaign “(Un) safe online”? which seeks to raise the level of awareness of women in policies on their digital rights and how to respond to online violations of their rights, in particular during the election. Through direct collaboration with women who have been or are constantly victims of media attacks, the campaign has shown that this problem is one of the key causes of underrepresentation of women in public and political life, and thus gender equality in Montenegro. Bearing in mind that this problem has taken hold and that women face media lynching on a daily basis, both through traditional ones media, as well as through online portals and social networks, it is necessary to constantly work on solving this problem in the future. CeMI ​​will continue the campaign, and the concrete contribution of this project will be aimed at providing funds for propaganda material - brochures, visuals, boosting material on social networks, etc. 

With the implementation of the planned activities of this project, the efforts started by CeMI will continue, and will continue develop a methodology for successful media monitoring and conduct gender responsive monitoring, following which will be prepared a report with recommendations for improving public policies in the field of media in order reducing levels of stereotypes and prejudices against women. Also, the set of activities of this project is designed to build the capacity of women in Montenegro, not only women present in public and political life, but also those in the private sector, academia, media, on which way to recognize and protect themselves from the threats present in the online space. The project plans to train at least 25 women. In addition to the trainings that will be realized in order to support women, a guide will be prepared about types of online threats and how to most successfully and easily protect their rights in the digital sphere. As part of the project implementation, an information campaign will be conducted through traditional and online media in order to recognize gender-based hate speech, misinformation and violence via the Internet and on social networks, by publishing articles in printed media and online portals, as well as by making an educational-informative video on the project topic, which will contribute to a better public awareness of this phenomenon.

The project is financially supported by the Ministry of Justice, Human and Minority Rights.