Speak Up & Stay Safe(r): A Guide to Protecting Yourself From Online Harassment

A guide written by targets of cyber-attacks that is designed for women, people of color, trans and genderqueer people, and everyone else whose existing oppressions are made worse by digital violence. It details the best security practices for social media, email, online gaming, website platforms, ensuring the privacy of personal information online, as well as the documentation and reporting of harassment, and caring for yourself emotionally

Female Journalists in New Media Report

A report analyzing how gendered, online harassment of female journalists translates in the physical world. It uses qualitative experience to record experiences from female journalists in Pakistan and highlight the impacts of gendered harassment on women's careers and democracy. The report ends with recommendations to the state, media houses, civil society, and press clubs of Pakistan.

2. Significant Gendered Impacts of Disinformation

The next two sections of the guide further explore two significant gendered impacts of disinformation:

  • Silencing women public figures and deterring women from seeking public roles
  • Undermining democracy and good governance, increasing political polarization, and expanding social cleavages

Name It. Change It. Research and Reports

Name It. Change It releases research projects and studies demonstrating gender-based challenges women face from the media when they run for office. In the past, they have published studies revealing where voters saw the most media sexism during the 2016 elections and conducted surveys on media coverage of women candidates’ appearance. The results of these reports continue to raise awareness about this growing issue and support their guides on best practices for gender-neutral coverage of women candidates. 

Tactical Tech’s Gendersec Training Curricula on “Hacking Hate Speech”

A training workshop curriculum on how to set up an online support network, create textual and visual counterspeech content, and deploy a counterspeech campaign. The “Hacking Hate Speech” session focuses on countering online hate speech, including learning how to conduct simple threat modelling, identify attackers, and develop strategies to mitigate hate speech.  

PEN America’s “Online Harassment Field Manual"

A training guide for journalists and writers on how to respond to online harassment and abuse, including building a community of supporters and developing counterspeech messages. The manual was written with and for the group disproportionately impacted by online abuses including writers, journalists, artists, and activists who identify as women, BIPOC, and/or LGBTQIA+. It provides guidance for individuals being targeted, witnesses or allies, and employers supporting staff experiencing online harassment. 

HeartMob

HeartMob is a community dedicated to helping those experiencing online harassment. This platform is an at-the-ready network of supporters available to respond to users’ reports of online harassment and provide positive support messages.  Additionally, the HeartMob community assists members with reporting comments or profiles on social media platforms and maintains documentation for potential legal action. 

Europe and Eurasia Regional Election Management Body Working Group on Social Media, Disinformation and Electoral Integrity

This working group for electoral management bodies was established to tackle challenges presented by social media and disinformation to the electoral process in May 2021. With nearly 50 election officials from 13 countries in the Eastern Partnership and Western Balkans, the group provides EMBs a platform for continued peer learning, skill-building, and developing best practices.  

Dutch Code of Conduct Transparency Online Political Advertisements

This Code of Conduct was published to address the issues of election transparency and disinformation in the digital sphere. This code requires transparency regarding the sender, costs, and reach of advertisements during the election campaign. It also urges political parties to avoid posting misleading messages or accept foreign funding for advertising.