Examination of social media gender-based violence: a case of performing artists in Uganda

Abstract

Social media-facilitated gender-based violence is a pervasive issue. Despite of this, few studies comprehensively address its prevalence, manifestations, and policies intended to mitigate it. This research therefore examined social facilitated media-facilitated gender-based violence among performing artists in Uganda. The objectives of the study were: i) to explore the forms of social media gender-based violence among performing artists ii) to examine the causes of social media gender-based violence among performing artists, iii) establish the differential effects of social media gender-based violence among performing artists, iv) establish government policies and laws intended to address social media gender-based violence in Uganda. The study employed qualitative methods of data collection comprised of Key informant interviews and Focus group discussions. The participants were purposively selected based on their roles and knowledge. The findings of this research reveal the most common forms of SMGBV as: non-consensual intimate images, cyberbullying, and stalking. The main causes of SMGBV were: anonymity, lack of awareness of laws and normalization of violence. The effects of SMGBV on performing artists as highlighted by the study were: emotional and psychological distress. The study revealed that women are more affected than men. The existing policies and laws to mitigate social-media facilitated violence were the Domestic Violence Act (2010), Computer Misuse Act (2022) and the Data protection and Privacy Act (2019). However, the study reveals that the existing government policies and laws are inadequate because the domestic violence act mainly focuses on physical and emotional abuse within a domestic setting (marriage, cohabitation, or familial relationships) but does not address online violence and abuse that takes place on social media platforms while both computer misuse act and data protection and privacy act do not have provisions explicitly addressing gender-based online violence. Drawing from the study, government should set up of local/country offices for social media platforms to handle content filtering and moderation to deal with the forms of social media gender-based violence. There is also need for stringent social media account creation procedures to address the causes of social media gender-based violence, especially anonymity. The research recommends that government should review its existing laws, for example the Domestic Violence Act (2010) and the Computer Misuse Act (2022) as amended to cater for SMGBV.