Maps and Apps Against Sexual Violence

A fascinating article in The Guardian shows how women in some countries are using social media to speak out about the sexual violence they've endured, sometimes at the hands of police, military or security forces.

In Iran, for example, some women are posting video to Vimeo and YouTube of how they were raped by police during the Iranian regime's brutal crackdown against protesters in 2008, following what many regard as an election stolen by the regime.

In Iran and many other countries around the world, the victims are often blamed for the rapes they suffer. So it can be extremely difficult for women to speak out. Some who have gone public have had to go into hiding or leave their countries altogether. As the Guardian points out, after Iman al-Obeidi told foreign journalists in March that she had been raped by soldiers loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, a state TV commentator denounced her as a "whore." In Sudan, writes the Guardian, not only has a woman who went public against Sudanese security forces had to flee Khartoum but two journalists who told her story have been imprisoned.

So instead of going through traditional media routes, women are finding other means of sharing their stories and telling truth to power. In Egypt, an open-source mapping website called HarassMap allows women to report instances of sexual assault by sending SMS messages. The site allows viewers to see a visual representation of the pervasiveness of sexual harassment in Egypt. The user can choose colour-coded categories ranging from catcalls and ogling to indecent exposure and rape. This is a fascinating use of social media in that it allows people to see the volume of complaints in not only a certain area by a specific street over the timer period that the user can define. This not only gives the user a sense of the extent of the problem but also might be useful in letting women know which parts of a city might be more of a risk for them.

The Guardian reports that HarassMap itself has been harassed by derogatory comments from people who persist in blaming victims. But at least this site gives women a new means of protesting or raising awareness of sexual harassment. Social media isn't as vulnerable to censorship from the forces of the status quo, so let's hope it has a tangible impact on attitudes in the long run.

Meanwhile, HarassMap isn't the only example of people mobilizing Web 2.0 technology against sexual harassment and violence. In the United States, for example, the Office of the Vice-President has instituted a competition called the Apps Against Abuse Challenge to integrate the use of SmartPhones with social media to protect women, especially those in colleges, against sexual assault.