ZOUHOUR MECHERGUI

Tunisia- Social media can support women to struggle against the patriarchal mindset and combat gender-based violence but it can also pose threats to women.

Bahia Nar, a Tunisian social media expert, believes that women need platforms that support them so that they can struggle against the patriarchal mindset and combat violence against women. She also warns that social media can also pose threats to women, calling on women to use social media carefully.

‘Social media is an important space to combat violence against women’

Bahia Nar thinks that social media platforms must be adapted to serve women’s issues. “Social media is a way for marginalized women to make their voices heard and express themselves. It is an important space to combat violence against women. Women should use social media platforms more to share their success stories, organize themselves and unite. They encourage each other with their posts on social media, especially since they live in a society affected by the patriarchal mindset.”

‘The cases of gender-based violence and femicide spread faster on social media’

Bahia Nar believes that the cases of violence against women and femicide are revealed through social media. “Social media has become a space for women to share their experiences, and protest all forms of violence against women. For example, we learned that a woman had been killed by her husband in the Kairouan Governorate on social media. The killing of the woman sparked anger on social media. The social media users protested the incident and demanded the perpetrator be tried.”

‘Social media can be a double-edged sword’

Social media can be a double-edged sword, Bahia Nar stressed. “It helps women to combat violence, educate themselves, market their products and tell their stories; however, it is also used to discredit, blackmail and harass women activists, journalists and politicians. Tunisian women always call for the effective implementation of Law No. 58 adopted by the Tunisian Parliament in 2017 to combat violence against women. Online violence has become a frightening phenomenon that threatens women.”

Bahia Nar calls on women to be careful about online violence. “They should know that everything that they share on social media can be used by a group of people to attack them. If you are feminists and share something on social media, you may receive some sexist comments. Women should not share their private information on social media to avoid being blackmailed.”

‘It is time to unite against the patriarchal mindset’

Calling on women to share their success stories on social media to inspire each other, Bahia Nar said, “It is time to educate each other and unite against the patriarchal mindset. As women, we have the same demands and cause. Women's platforms on social media are very important and should be supported.”