Targeting Online Sexism: Pakistani Initiative Fights Abuse in Local Languages

Usama AnjumLast Updated: Nov 1, 2024

Online observers have stated that online abuse is intensifying especially on social media, forcing women to leave those platforms. The latter have cited harassment and derogatory comments as key reasons to stay away from online interaction. Addressing this issue, Uks Research Centre recently hosted a webinar titled ‘SafeWords: Combating Sexist Abuse in Urdu and Punjabi,’ where Executive Director Tasneem Ahmar shed light on the widespread problem.

According to Ahmar, sexist abuse is often conveyed in Roman-script Urdu and Punjabi, making it harder for online algorithms to detect and filter. “In addition to using offensive language, some individuals degrade women by sharing explicit images,” she explained.

To tackle the issue, Uks launched a year-long campaign, #PehlaySochoPhirBolo, under its SafeWords project. The campaign aimed at raising awareness and combating abuse invites women and men to discuss online safety and share experiences with online sexism. A core component of the project involves the compilation of a list of sexist terminologies in Urdu and Punjabi to assist social media platforms in building better profanity filters.

“This compendium, developed in collaboration with social media companies, marks a pioneering step toward tackling online abuse in Pakistan,” Ahmar noted.

Another Uks Centre member, Shahrezad, highlighted that the language used against women often reflects ingrained gender biases. “The terms are rooted in patriarchal values and cause harm on both individual and societal levels,” she added.

Meanwhile, the project manager at the UK research center Injie Anis emphasized that while abusive English terms typically trigger warnings, Urdu and Punjabi equivalents in Roman script often evade detection. This gap in filtering has contributed to the low percentage of women on social media in Pakistan—estimated at only 25%.