At a time when we regard ourselves to be smack dab in the middle of the feminist era, all thanks to campaigns and movements like #MeToo, cracking the code to curb online harassment still remains a mystery. Realising that it is the need of the hour, especially with the advancement of technology and the ease of stalking and cyberbullying, SHEROES, an online community for women has come up with a campaign #NotAnyMore, to create awareness about cyberbullying and to tackle the issue at the same time.
Curious to know more? We were and so, we decided to catch up with Sairee Chahal, the Founder and CEO of SHEROES. Excerpts from our conversation:
Tell us about the campaign and how it is going to create a difference in the wake of the recent #MeToo movement.
#NotAnyMore is a campaign to build awareness around the real problem of online harassment and have open conversations around it. Many members from our community have opened up on their experiences, sometimes anonymously — from receiving pictures of genitals and jealous exes destroying marriages with graphic letters to blatantly soliciting sex and making rape threats to wield power. On a positive note, members have found solace in the fact that no one is alone on this journey. Having found a safe space, they feel comfortable talking about issues openly and also come out in support of women who are speaking out.
What do you think is the best way to address online harassment or harassment in general?
It’s important for all online social spaces and platforms to feel accountable for the users on their platforms. Start with intent and back it up with strict no-tolerance policies for abuse and harassment. We have had instances of men trying to get onto the platform, sometimes by mistake and sometimes by design, but our product, tech and communities have worked hard to keep it safe. It’s an on-going collective effort and the safety of our members is our top priority.
What was the major inspiration behind this?
We had been receiving a steady stream of users on the Ask SHEROES helpline on our app, talking about the online harassment they had been experiencing on popular social media platforms. At times, members were not clearly able to identify these behaviours as abuse, though they knew something was off. We felt there was a need for learning through shared experiences and building a heightened consciousness around what constitutes abuse. Hence, the #NotAnyMore campaign was launched and it has received much real-time engagement.
