Women’s safety has always been a double edged sword. Whether it has been a woman chased by a cop and killed in the UK, or young girls vanishing - never to be found again, to social media bullying, cyber attacks and more, the threat to women’s safety has now entered a new realm. As it is the status of safety in the physical world was always a matter of concern, now with the innovation in the webspace, metaverse has further aggravated the danger against women, making them vulnerable to another level of criminal attacks and conspiracy, alarmingly so - gangrape and mental harassment of digital avatars. Not just young girls, but vulnerable women and even elders who are just getting their hands on social media to reconnect with their long lost friends and keep up with digital payments and tools, all are equally privy to harassment, crimes and unsafe events. Earlier when women became victims of crime, they were wrongly called out for their conduct and especially clothes they wore. But, the metaverse and its digital harassment of women and infringement of their safety has left naysayers and orthodox people liptied who now do not know the cause of a gang rape of any cyber attack on a virtual avatar of a person where clothes and body don’t matter to the harasser. It’s all in the mind.
Strava (an American internet service for tracking physical exercise) analyses data from the 120 million-plus athletes who use the platform, spotting trends and predicting what lies ahead. With the results from 2023 now in, there is plenty of positive news for runners, but there is one stat that makes for truly depressing reading for UK runners. Globally, women are 9% more likely than men to cite a lack of safe places to exercise as a barrier, yet in the UK, that figure rises to an astonishing 160% – women are more than twice as likely than men to cite safety as a concern. That women don't feel safe is, sadly, not news – last year 92% surveyed in an Adidas campaign said they felt concerned for their safety on a run. It is, though, surprising that the stat is so much higher in the UK than globally. The UK is, after all, a reasonably safe country when looked at on a global scale, ranking 34th out of 163 on the Global Peace Index in 2023. While there is still much to be done for women's safety on the run in the UK, at least most women may feel they have that option, albeit under limited conditions like daylight and with a friend.
Shaista Gohir OBE (Baroness Gohir of Hall Green), CEO of Muslim Women’s Network UK told Asian Voice, “I believe that Black, Asian and minority women are over-represented in female domestic homicides. There is a need to focus on their particular experiences and additional barriers that contribute to this. To bring the government’s attention to this, I will be asking them about domestic homicide rates of minority ethnic women in the House of Lords on Monday 22nd January. Muslim Women’s Network UK is also highlighting femicide rates in minority ethnic women through a dedicated page on our website called Say Her Name, the names include victims who have also been killed in domestic abuse crimes.”
Involve women in park design
While online safety of women is dependent on the development of more stringent laws and their implementation, on physical grounds, in reality, there are some more practical solutions.
To address safety concerns and gender inequality in UK parks, a study commissioned by West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin, and conducted by Leeds University, proposed involving women in park design. Findings indicate women and girls face daily misogyny and harassment in parks, prompting the need for improvements. Simple changes like enhanced lighting, lower hedges, and establishing escape routes could mitigate harassment risks. Over 100 women and girls participated in the research, expressing concerns about park safety. The guidance, encompassing ten design and management principles, aims to promote women's park usage and will be launched in collaboration with Make Space for Girls and Keep Britain Tidy.
Deepfakes of South Asian celebrities
In the era of advancing technology, deepfakes, AI-generated content replacing a person's likeness, present both exciting possibilities and concerns. Notably, South Asian celebrities like Alia Bhatt and Priyanka Chopra have fallen victim to deepfake incidents. High-profile cases, such as a deepfake featuring the Mayor of London, highlight the potential dangers in both visual and audio formats. The rise of revenge porn facilitated by deepfakes raises significant privacy concerns. While celebrities may quickly dismiss fake content, ordinary individuals lack the resources to remove such material from the internet, posing a new threat to revenge porn victims. Deepfakes, using AI and deep learning, can create realistic simulations, leading to potential reputational damage and emotional distress. With deepfake-related revenge porn on the rise, safeguarding personal privacy becomes crucial, especially in conservative South Asian societies. In the UK, where women are 160% more likely than men to cite safety concerns, the impact of deepfakes adds an alarming layer to digital threats. The perspectives of British Asian women vary, emphasising the need for awareness, legal frameworks, and responsible technology use to counter the growing threat of deepfakes.
Virtual assault on a British girl
In the UK, a girl reported wearing a Virtual Reality (VR) headset, experiencing a virtual assault on her animated avatar by several men in a game. The incident considered the world's first reported sexual assault in the virtual space, highlights concerns about inadequacies in existing laws addressing virtual offences. While UK authorities investigate, there's apprehension about the limitations of prosecuting under laws narrowly defining sexual assault as physical contact. UK Home Secretary James Cleverly emphasised the potential real-world threats posed by those committing virtual atrocities, recognising the immersive impact on victims' psyches despite the temptation to dismiss them as unreal.
Pressing need for a legal framework
The Metaverse, being a convergence of virtual reality, augmented reality, and other technologies, offers a highly immersive experience. This level of immersion can have profound emotional and psychological impacts.
Nina Jane Patel, Co-founder and director of Research Kabuni (an organisation aimed at making the metaverse safer for children) told Asian Voice, “The girl involved is very brave, in a New World/ Frontier. Bringing this to the attention of the police would have been no easy task, and she is breaking ground with her actions. While we don't know where it will lead, it is a step in the right direction.”
According to Patel, legally, this presents a complex landscape. Traditional laws are grounded in physical interactions, but the Metaverse blurs these boundaries, raising questions about jurisdiction, enforceability, and the definition of crime and personal violation. For example, if an assault occurs in a virtual environment, the legal system must grapple with the nature of the offence. Is it akin to physical assault, harassment, or something entirely new?
“There's a pressing need for a legal framework that considers the unique aspects of the Metaverse. This involves rethinking concepts of personal safety, consent, and privacy. We need to ensure that laws are adapted or created to protect users in these spaces without stifling the innovation and freedom that make the Metaverse compelling. While the Metaverse opens up new worlds of interaction and experience, it also necessitates a thoughtful approach to its potential human impact. It calls for an evolved understanding of human rights, personal safety, and mental well-being in digital realms, along with legal structures that can adapt to these novel challenges,” Nina Patel told the newsweekly.
Protection of children and young people
When considering the protection of children and young people in the Metaverse, specific emotional, psychological, and legal aspects need to be addressed with utmost seriousness and precision.
Nina said, “Emotionally and psychologically, children and young people are in a critical stage of development, making them particularly vulnerable to the experiences they encounter in the Metaverse. The immersive nature of these virtual worlds can blur the lines between reality and virtual experiences for younger users. This makes experiences like harassment or grooming in the Metaverse not just virtual incidents but potentially traumatic experiences that can have long-lasting impacts on their mental health and development. The immersive and interactive nature of the Metaverse can intensify these experiences, potentially leading to anxiety, fear, and other psychological issues, just as real-world experiences do.
“There's a need for specific legislation that addresses the unique nature of offences in the Metaverse. This includes defining and criminalising acts of grooming, bullying, and harassment in virtual environments. It also involves creating stringent age verification systems, privacy controls, and parental supervision tools tailored to the Metaverse's immersive experience.
“Protecting children in the Metaverse requires a multi-faceted approach: psychologically informed safeguards to prevent trauma, robust legal frameworks to define and prosecute offences, and international cooperation to effectively enforce these laws. This is a critical area that demands immediate attention to ensure the Metaverse is a safe and positive space for young users.”
WestMidlands’ Women’s Night Safety Charter
A new Women’s Night Safety Charter to help improve women’s safety across the region was launched by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) in December 2023. The charter, the first of its kind in the region, sets out guidance for venues, operators, charities, councils and businesses to improve safety at night for women - including better training of staff, encouraging the reporting of harassment and ensuring public spaces are safe. More than 50 businesses have already signed up - including the NEC Group, the HMV Empire in Coventry, and Kings Heath’s iconic Hare and Hounds pub. Now West Midlands Mayor Andy Street and WMCA Night Time Economy Advisor Alex Claridge are encouraging more councils, businesses, venues and other organisations to sign the charter and help improve women’s safety. The charter’s measures, which include plans to appoint a Women’s Night Safety Champion for the West Midlands, are part of a new bold vision for how a safe and thriving night-time economy can operate in the region.
