Sarajevo, 14 September 2023 — In a collaborative effort to address the pressing issue of digital violence against women and girls and to promote bodyright—the right to own your body online—the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Bosnia and Herzegovina partnered with the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) to organize a forum that brought together more than 50 representatives from key authorities at the state and entity level, including relevant ministries, members of both Houses of the Federation Parliament, policy-makers, academia, media, and civil society in Sarajevo.
The primary objective of the forum was to catalyze legislative changes, advocate for the adoption and implementation of the Bodyright Legislative Roadmap, raise social awareness, and encourage critical thinking regarding digital violence.
Mirjana Marinković-Lepić, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Federation Parliament stated, "There is no difference in helping victims in reality or the virtual world, especially when it comes to younger generations who spend as much time on the Internet as they do out on the streets, at school, at work, and sometimes even more. Helping victims is equally important and welcome wherever violence against them is committed."
Participants of the Bodyright Forum signed the pledge stating, "We agree to support the implementation of existing provisions that protect against all forms of violence in the online space, and to work on amendments and the adoption of clear laws, in accordance with signed international conventions and best global practices. The aim is to criminalize the unauthorized use of photos, videos and other content on the Internet.
We want to enable everyone to have the right to bodily autonomy and their own choice while eradicating any attempt to abuse, discredit, humiliate and belittle others because we are aware that ‘your body is only yours – both online and in the real world’ ".
The Human Rights Ombudsperson of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Jasminka Džumhur, expressed her satisfaction seeing the commitment from decision makers and stressed, "Support to the pledge demonstrates their support for the implementation of existing provisions protecting individuals against all forms of online violence. The ultimate goal is to criminalize the unauthorized use of photos, videos, and other content on the Internet."
Digital violence against women has reached alarming proportions, with 57% of women experiencing some form of video- and image-based abuse, and 58% of them falling victim to 'astroturfing,' the simultaneous sharing of damaging content across multiple platforms. Presently, individuals lack effective ownership of their bodies online, and victims of exploitative images face arduous legal processes to enforce their limited rights. To address this pressing issue, UNFPA has introduced bodyright, a novel 'copyright' mark designed to assert and demand protection from online violence.
In his opening remarks, UNFPA Representative John Kennedy Mosoti emphasized, "UNFPA is dedicated to ending all violence against women and girls, whether in the real or virtual world. This is why we have launched bodyright, a new 'copyright' mark to assert and demand protection from online violence. This initiative empowers people to hold digital companies, social platforms, content-sharing sites, and policymakers accountable for addressing virtual violence and online abuse as seriously as they do copyright infringements."
UNFPA commends this collaborative effort to combat online violence and protect bodyright. This initiative represents a critical step toward creating a safer and more equitable online environment for all. This is a list of names of MPs who signed the pledge.
For media inquiries, please contact:
UNFPA: Majda Prljaca, prljaca@unfpa.org or +38761171673
About UNFPA: The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. UNFPA is dedicated to ensuring that every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled.
About bodyright: Bodyright is an initiative launched by UNFPA to address online violence against women and to promote the right to own one's body online. It seeks to raise awareness, advocate for legislative changes, and empower individuals to protect themselves from online violence.
