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Paper Short Abstract:

In recent times, and especially in the aftermath of the pandemic, there has been a significant increase in online hate speech, including extreme online misogyny. This paper aims to understand gendered hate speech on the Internet, the reasons for its proliferation, and how it can be regulated.

Paper Abstract:

In recent times, and especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a significant increase in racism, Islamophobia, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, homophobia, transphobia, and online misogyny. According to a 2021 UN Women report, in South Asia, data from India, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia showed that misogynistic Facebook posts and tweets, and engagement with them, such as likes, comments and shares, increased 168% from the same period in 2019. More than 50% of misogynistic tweets from India contained specific COVID-related content, the majority of which was posted by self-declared members of misogynist organisations.

This paper aims to understand how gender influences and determines hate speech on the Internet, the reasons for the increase in hate-filled speech, and where and how women are censored online. In addition to understanding if online platforms are scripted to favour the patriarchy, the paper will also examine if suppressing content violates the fundamental principles of free speech, which is the foundation of every democratic, free-thinking society.