UN Women Tunisia Launches Urgent Call to Combat Gender Stereotypes Fueling a "Culture of Violence"
UN Women Tunisia has launched an urgent appeal to combat gender stereotypes that fuel a "culture of violence", particularly in the digital space, where they facilitate forms of harassment and technological abuse against women. According to the UN agency, these biases legitimize violent online behaviors such as control, threats, insults, non-consensual sharing of intimate content, and the normalization of the aggressor. These digital violence have severe psychological consequences, including stress, anxiety, shame, social isolation, loss of self-confidence, depression, and suicidal thoughts. UN Women warns against the malicious use of artificial intelligence, particularly through the creation of "degrading images" and "deepfakes" (hyper-realistic manipulated videos). Nearly 90 to 95% of these online sexual contents specifically target women, constituting what the organization describes as a "real and extremely serious threat". In response to this situation, UN Women Tunisia calls for immediate collective action to eradicate gender stereotypes at their root, strengthen women's online security, and protect their mental health. The organization emphasizes the need to regulate technologies used as instruments of violence and promote an inclusive and respectful digital space.
Key Points:
- Gender stereotypes fuel a "culture of violence" against women, particularly in the digital space
- Digital violence has severe psychological consequences, including stress, anxiety, and depression
- Malicious use of artificial intelligence, such as "deepfakes", poses a significant threat to women's safety and well-being
- UN Women Tunisia calls for immediate collective action to eradicate gender stereotypes and promote a respectful digital space
- Regulation of technologies used as instruments of violence and promotion of inclusive digital spaces are crucial to protecting women's mental health and online security.
