Nirvoya:

Context:

Combating Cyber Violence against Women & Girls (VAWG) in Social Media
We live in a hyper connected world where internet has become an indispensable tool for
people in every walks of life. However, along with the benefits, the possibilities of misusing
the internet, especially through social media platforms, is becoming evident. Relatively a
new comer in the cyber world, Bangladesh government has set as a top priority of making a
Digital Bangladesh. As a result, there are 73 million Internet users (as of June 2017) and 22
million active social media users in Bangladesh out of which a significant number is girls
and women. In a society
where girls and women
are not safe in private
and public spaces, it is
not of much wonder that
they are too the prime
victims of harassment in
cyber domain. According
to the State Minister for
Post and
Telecommunications,
Tarana Halim, 73% of
the women in
Bangladesh suffer from multitude of criminal activities over the internet but unfortunately
only 23% of them make complaints. Given that cyberbullying over social media is still a
relatively new phenomenon, but the little data currently in existence indicate the negative
effects of cyberbullying. While sheer volume of incidences confirm the alarming prevalence
of cyber bullying across Bangladesh, the research base to indicate the most effective ways
to address cyber violence against women and girls (VAWG) is still inadequate.
Previous studies revealed that the disproportionate amount of cyber VAWG is partly
attributable to their identity as women and the ubiquity of the internet which encourages
the perpetrators to utilize it as a tool to mainly harm girls and women. While cybercrime
research is still in its infancy, the existing research posited that the implications of cyber
VAWG are more serious than those of the more traditional forms of bullying, perhaps due
to the anonymity of the perpetrators. In most cases, victims are too traumatized and
emotionally distressed to consider combating their quandary. Moreover, the fear of victim
shaming, isolation often push the victims from the edge of depression to despair where
they contemplate suicide to steer clear of the sheer embarrassment accompanied by vast
range of other implications of cyberbullying. Despite awareness related to cyber VAWG is
on the rise, lack of sound research impedes the victims and the administrators in adopting
proactive steps to effectively combat the predicament. Above all, there is the challenge of
‘issue definition’ i.e. identifying cyber bullying as a public policy problem and therefore its

Nirvoya: Say No to Cyberbullying

need needs to be addressed.

Cyber VAWG has become a social concern where girls & women are being abused and
harassed over various social medial platforms. Due to extensive use of social media and
lack of awareness & understanding on proper usage, girls and women are becoming more
vulnerable in these days. This can be addressed by creating awareness and knowledge
among these communities and social media can be turned in to safer place for girls and
women.
BIID introduced “Nirvoya” initiative to build awareness and skills to address the emerging
issues of cyber bullying against girls and women in social media under a research project
“Cyber Bullying against Girls and Women over Social Media” of the ICT Division, Ministry of

Key Services for Nirvoya

Post, Telecom and ICT, Government of Bangladesh.
BIID plans to execute the following activities to help “Nirvoya” stand as a unique platform
catering millions of girls and women in Bangladesh who are highly susceptible to cyber
violence in the era of rapid digitization.
1. Cyber VAWG Awareness Campaigns:
Campaigns are inarguably the most effective tool to educate the public on burning social
issues and alter social consciousness within a short span of time. BIID plans to hold mass
awareness campaigns to directly benefit at least 10,000 women and girls by disseminating
awareness on the prevalence of cyber VAWG, encourage everyone large to possess ‘zero
tolerance’ and take all the actions necessary to end cyberbullying and alert the victims and
potential victims to the available resources to combat cyber violence.
2. Nirvoya Club and Volunteering Platform
BIID envisages launching Nirvoya clubs in partnership with Department of ICT (DoICT) in
educational institutes with Sheikh Russell Digital Labs (SRDLs). Our target is directly
benefit 500 students and 100 teachers and parents per school via these clubs. Therefore at
the end of the stipulated time, the direct and indirect beneficiaries of the Nirvoya clubs will
amount to 250,000students and 50,000 teachers and parents respectively. The members of
the clubs will at the helm for spreading awareness and educating their cohorts and
acquaintances about the multiple aspects of cyberbullying and its prevention. Volunteerism
is one of the most powerful tool to engage people of all ages in transforming their voices
into action in tackling any social impediment. To foster volunteerism, BIID plans to launch
a volunteering platform where any individual irrespective of their age, gender and
profession can be a part of the movement against cyber violence against women and girls.
We plan to recruit 50,000 volunteers from all over Bangladesh who will be an integral part
of the Nirvoya network and serve to benefit their own communities through
implementation of innovative ideas. Moreover, these volunteers will participate to support
all the activities Nirvoya clubs and Nirvoya campaigns.
3. Nirvoya Digital Network:
In the era of hyper connectivity, social media web based platforms are widely used to
create networks among diverse people from across the globe to stand up against or for a
cause in unity. BIID has set a target to create a network of half a million women and girls on
a social media/web based platform, preferably facebook. This network will be overarching
in terms of the reach and the diversity of the members of the network. Women and girls
from any social and professional backgrounds can step out to share their own stories of

Target Reach
survival and show their support for one another by extending advice, mentorship etc.
BIID aims to reach out to and create a strong network of 1 million young girls (age group:
14-20) and adult women (age group: 21-45) by the end of the stipulated 5 years via
Nirvoya campaigns, Nirvoya club & volunteering platform and Nirvoya Digital Network.
The major expected outcomes of this project are as follows:

Expected Outcomes
1. Raise awareness among generally people, and more particularly women and girls
helping them to stay safe in the cyberspace and/or equipping them with the courage
and tools to fight cyberbullying if they fall prey to crimes as such.
2. Create an enabling cyber environment for women and girls where they can actively
participate and thrive over social media yet stay as safe as possible.
3. Provide guardians and authorities of education institutes a guide for identifying
cyber bullying, supervision, helping their children in either effectively combating or
containing such behave.
4. Raise awareness at the policy level among practitioners helping them to initiate
interventions in the future to combat cyber VAWG.
5. Contribute in defining cyber bullying and guiding policy formulations for

Partners
government.
BIID will work in collaboration with ICT Division, Department of ICT, Ministry of Women
and Child Affairs (MoWCA), ITU, BTRC and other government, development and private
organizations to establish, promote and strengthen the national network, namely Nirvoya,
to fight cyber violence against women and girls.

Contact information

Any information and communication will be cooridnated by Ms Fatema Mohammad,

Deputy Manager, BIID and she can be reached at fatema@biid.org.bd or cell no.
+8801753439888. Also can contact at BIID, House No. 174, Apt. B3, Level 2, Road No. 2,
Mohakhali DOHS, Dhaka 1206, Bangladesh.