Platforms as New Frontlines: Gendered Digital Violence and the Gaps in UNSCR 1325

Sakshi Mishra and Vaibhav Pratap Singh
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Sakshi Mishra: Sakshi Mishra is an ICSSR Doctoral Fellow at Dr. K.R. Narayanan Centre for Dalit and Minorities Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia.
Vaibhav Pratap Singh: Vaibhav Pratap Singh is a Doctoral Fellow at Centre for Culture Media and Governance, Jamia Millia Islamia.

India Quarterly: A Journal of International Affairs, 2025, vol. 81, issue 3, 288-307

Abstract: As digital technologies increasingly intersect with global conflicts, algorithm-driven platforms like Facebook have become complicit in perpetuating gendered violence in crisis zones. Facebook, which is often described as the internet for Myanmar, is examined in this study as one illustrative case to understand how platform algorithms shape and amplify gendered hashtags and user comments that can escalate into real-world violence. While Myanmar is used as a case study, these interactions are not unique to its context rather it reflect a broader pattern of gendered harm that manifests in other conflict-affected areas as well, shaped by the platform’s engagement-driven business model, designed to maximise user attention. Drawing on Section 11 of UNSCR 1325 which talks about the “responsibility of state to put an end to impunity and to prosecute those responsible for war crimes including those relating to sexual and other violence against women and girls†, this study highlights the urgent need for state intervention in addressing algorithmic war crimes, emphasising the role of digital governance in combating gendered digital violence in conflict zones. While social media offers spaces for identity construction, it also replicates systemic gender biases, allowing traditional forms of sexual violence to persist online. With 2025 marking the 25th anniversary of UNSCR 1325, the study argues that war crimes have evolved beyond physical battlegrounds into algorithmic terrains, where digital violence transcends territorial jurisdictions. To mitigate these harms, the article calls for clear definitions of digital gender-based crimes, increased digital literacy, improved content moderation systems and multi-stakeholder governance frameworks that integrate national and regional cybersecurity laws. Through a gender-inclusive approach to digital security, this research advocates for a more accountable and equitable digital landscape, ensuring that technological advancements do not reinforce structural inequalities but instead foster digital justice and protection.

Keywords: UNSCR 1325; Gendered Digital Violence; Algorithmic war crimes; Platform Governance; Social Media and Conflict (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:indqtr:v:81:y:2025:i:3:p:288-307

DOI: 10.1177/09749284251348534

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