SARAJEVO, SEPTEMBER 15 (ONASA) – In a joint effort to address the pressing issue of violence against women and girls in the digital space and to promote “bodyright” – the right to one’s body in the digital sphere – the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in partnership with the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH), organized a forum that brought together more than 50 representatives of key authorities at the state and entity level, including relevant ministries, representatives in both houses of the Federal Parliament, policy makers, the academic community, the media and civil society, yesterday in Sarajevo.
The primary goal of the forum was to initiate legislative changes, advocate for the adoption and implementation of the Bodyright Legislative Roadmap, raise social awareness and encourage critical thinking about digital violence.
Mirjana Marinković-Lepić, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, pointed out: “There is no difference in providing assistance to victims in the real or virtual world, especially when it comes to younger generations who spend as much time on the Internet as they do on the street, at school, at work, and sometimes even more. Helping victims is equally important and welcome in all places where violence has been committed against them.”
The participants of the “bodyright” forum signed a joint statement that reads: “We agree to support the implementation of existing provisions that protect against all forms of violence in the online space, and to work on amendments and adoption of clear laws, in accordance with signed international conventions and best global practices.” The goal is to criminalize the unauthorized use of photos, videos and other content on the Internet.
We want to enable the right to bodily autonomy and personal choice while eradicating any attempt to abuse, discredit, humiliate and belittle others and others because we are aware that ‘your body is only yours – both online and in the real world’.
Legal expert, Jasminka Džumhur, expressed satisfaction at witnessing the determination of the decision-makers, stressing: “The support for the joint statement demonstrates their support for the implementation of existing provisions that protect individuals from all forms of online violence. The ultimate goal is to criminalize the unauthorized use of photos, videos and other content on the Internet .”
Violence against women in the digital space has reached alarming proportions, where 57% of women have experienced some form of abuse through video content or photos, while 58% of women have become victims of so-called ‘astroturfing’, i.e. simultaneous sharing of harmful content across multiple platforms. Currently, individuals cannot exercise effective ownership of their own bodies in the online space, and victims of photo abuse face excruciating legal proceedings in an effort to exercise their limited rights. To address this pressing issue, UNFPA launched ‘bodyright’, a new ‘copyright’ label that asserts and demands protection from online violence.
In his opening address, UNFPA representative John Kennedy Mosoti emphasized: “UNFPA is committed to ending all forms of violence against women and girls, whether it occurs in the real or virtual world. For this reason, we have launched “bodyright”, a new ‘copyright’ label that confirms and demands protection from online violence.
This initiative encourages people to demand that digital companies, social platforms, content-sharing sites and policymakers take the same serious approach to addressing virtual violence and abuse in the online space as they do copyright infringement.”
UNFPA welcomes this joint effort to fight online violence and protect the right to one’s body. This initiative represents a key step towards creating a safer and fairer online environment for everyone.
The following is a list of the names of the forum participants who signed the joint statement: Kenela Zuko, Mara Đukić, Admir Čavalić, Žana Primorac, Sanel Kajan, Bajro Makić, Belmin Zukan, Dajana Čolić, Edina Gabela, Dragan Mioković, Amra Junuzović – Kaljić, Lana Prlić , Miomirka Melank, Marijana Hrvić Šikuljak, Nihad Krajinović, Jelena Pekić, Siniša Dukić, Ivica Šarić, Adisa Kokić – Hinović, Aida Koluder Agić, Alma Kratina, Ivanka Marković, Jasminka Džumhur, Mirjana Marinković Lepić, Almedina Bulić, Biljana Andrić, Marko Cvitanović , Esma Latić, Azra Dizdar and Meliha Žiško.