WMC Speech Project
What the Random Rape Threat Generator Tells Us About Online Misogyny
Rape threats and other sexualized vitriol online feel extremely personal. These are messages that often go into explicit detail about which parts of our bodies will be violated with which instruments. They give the impression that the senders know us, that they are aware of our particular weak spots and of what to say to […]
WMC Speech Project
Women Writers Have Always Been Targeted for Anti-Semitic Hatred
Why it is only now that media is paying serious attention to anti-semitic harassment targeted at journalists?
Last week, the Anti Defamation League (ADL) issued a report detailing the rise in anti-Se...
WMC Speech Project
Doxing 101: What to Do About Lou Dobbs' Irresponsible Tweeting?
Last Wednesday, the New York Times published an article in which 74-year old Jessica Leeds described Donald Trump, with whom she was sharing a flight 30 years ago, grabbing her breasts and attempting to put his hand up her skirt. One day later, one of Fox Business’ most popular hosts, Lou Dobbs, retweeted a tweet […]
WMC Speech Project
Women in Sports Media Face Unrelenting Sexism in Challenges to Their Expertise and Opinions
I was never truly aware of sexism until I started working in sports media. In the 13 years I spent as an attorney, I saw and felt a lot of injustice, but it was the kind I recognized: preference based...
WMC Speech Project
Political Violence is Directly Linked to Online Harassment
In May 2012, just before the anniversary of the ruling of the Constitutional Court that legalized abortion in Colombia in 2006, I was working as a communications officer in the offices of the NGO Wome...
WMC Speech Project
Why Online Anonymity is Critical for Women
When it comes to online violence against women, anonymity is a tricky subject. Imagine someone is looking for you online. Can they discover what neighborhood you live in, the places you frequent...
WMC Speech Project
Technology Abuse: It’s Still About Power & Control
While anonymously perpetrated online abuse is common and frequently in the news, the reality is that in many cases, the perpetrator is someone the victim knows, and often, the harassment is a tactic o...
WMC Speech Project
When Online Harassment is Cross-Platform, There’s Nowhere to Turn
One of the most difficult aspects of online life for women is that when harassment happens it is rarely limited to one platform. Cross-platform abuse takes a particular toll.
I am not a typical examp...