For many women who are victims of domestic violence, the technology they use everyday can become yet another medium of abuse.
The ubiquity of mobile technology, in particular, can allow perpetrators to stalk women, as well as constantly contact and harass them, whether through text messages or threatening Facebook posts.
On Thursday, the Australian government announced it would be providing A$2.5 million to the Women's Services Network (WESNET), which advocates on behalf of women suffering from family violence, to provide new smartphones to victims and train frontline workers in online safety.
The funding will boost WESNET's existing Safe Connections partnership with telecommunications company Telstra, which will be providing 20,000 smartphones to WESNET over three years. Since the program began in late 2014, Telstra has supplied WESNET with more than 2,500 smartphones, a Telstra spokesperson confirmed to Mashable Australia. Brands include Samsung, HTC and ZTE.
Karen Bentley, senior technology trainer for WESNET, told us the devices will be useful for women whose primary phones might be compromised or being tracked by their partner. While it doesn't seem they will contain any special form of privacy protection or encryption, the smartphones will help women access services, call for help and keep in contact with friends and family.
They will be distributed through WESNET's 350 member organisations around Australia, as well as other partners.
"It's really emerged over the last five or so years, a huge increase in women who are presenting to domestic violence services with some kind of abuse online, whether through a smartphone, social media or GPS tracking," she said. "It might be abusive text messages, or it might be used to track your location, or you might be getting humiliated or impersonated on Facebook."
According to research presented by the ReCharge: Women's Technology Safety project in 2015, 98% of domestic violence workers surveyed had worked with clients experiencing some form of cyber stalking and online abuse. The most common medium of technology abuse was text message, followed by Facebook.
"It's important women can use and access technology."
WESNET's program helps women learn how to use their smartphone safely, how to recognise technology abuse may be happening, and how to collect evidence that victims may need for later legal action. It also provides education around how to secure your online presence, including how to best use social media privacy settings.
One thing WESNET will definitely not be teaching women in 2016, when smartphones are essential to work and communication, is to not use technology at all. "[The program's] also about trying to change a common message: If you're being abused through technology, stop using it," Bentley added. "We disagree. It's important women can use and access technology."
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) to speak with a trained counsellor from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence Counselling Service.
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