OUR GOAL
Project SafeNet
What is the safenet project?
SAFENET is a transnational project that started in 2021 and ends in 2024 and is funded by the EEA Financial Mechanism's Active Citizens Fund Programme.
The goal of the SAFENET project is to create a safety network to address online gender-based violence and support girls who are victims of violence.
The gendered dimension of online violence against girls is now recognized internationally as a widespread and serious problem, which urgently requires the attention of GBV support and services, policy makers and the general public.
For this reason, three European bodies are participating in the development of practical tools as well as educational material on the subject in question with the aim of improving the abilities of school professionals and teachers to recognize and deal with incidents of gender-based online violence, to establish procedures for protection and support of victims in the school environment as well as empowering parents to recognize the seriousness, signs and risks of gender-based online violence and, above all, to be able to properly manage the disclosure of incidents.
At the same time, an important goal of the project is to raise the awareness of the general population through a series of actions which is considered necessary to deal with the phenomenon.
Why are we focusing on gender-based online violence?
The ever-increasing use of the Internet and social networks has led to the emergence of the phenomenon of online gender-based violence against women and girls, which is a continuation of domestic violence and has serious economic and social consequences. Gender-based online violence often reflects real-life victimization carried out or reinforced through digital media, or can be a precursor to "real life" abuse.
Online violence mainly targets women and girls, with young women and teenage girls at particular risk of abuse and harassment online. According to the UN, 73% of women have suffered some form of online violence. Online abuse and harassment stems from, reinforces and reproduces the same structural inequalities and discrimination as other forms of gender-based violence. Also, the COVID-19 pandemic and incarceration have contributed significantly to the increase in gender-based online violence and made the need for prevention and, above all, for effective treatment of the phenomenon even more urgent. Changing social attitudes and perceptions is the first step to changing the way online violence is viewed as a serious challenge. In this context, it is necessary to raise awareness and inform both the new generation of technology users, i.e. boys and girls, as well as parents and school professionals, as well as the creation of tools to protect and support women and girls who are victims of violence.
Why do we need SAFENET?
Despite the great increase in the phenomenon of gender-based online violence, it has been observed that professional educators, parents of teenagers as well as organizations and support services for victims of gender-based violence have a lack of knowledge and skills in terms of prevention, intervention and support, while relevant materials and corresponding practical tools to combat GBV are not widely available.
In addition, the last two years have seen a rapid increase in the phenomenon, with new forms and more pronounced characteristics. Therefore, there is a need to create education and training actions for executives, but also to formulate new policies and improve the legal framework on the subject, which is the goal of the SAFENET project.