Shaping Attitudes Online with Wellsprings for Women
Women from migrant and refugee backgrounds are amongst the most vulnerable in our community, and in a fast-changing world are increasingly subject to abusive behaviours and activities that occur via internet-enabled devices and online platforms, broadly known as technology-facilitated abuse or TFA.
This worrying trend is why Wellsprings for Women, an organisation dedicated to the support of women from migrant and refugee backgrounds, are targeting TFA with their latest project – ‘Shaping Attitudes of What’s OK Online with Intimate Partners’. Fast-tracked with $50,000 of grant assistance from Telematics Trust, this forward-thinking project is developing culturally appropriate and accessible digital educational tools that will assist Dari-speaking women gain awareness and self-help capabilities to recognise TFA, and teach them how to avoid, respond and report it.
An Evolving Issue
While technology-facilitated abuse is a relatively novel issue, it is a rapidly growing one. According to research, TFA sadly affects Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) women at a higher rate than their non-CALD peers. Situations often arise where women experiencing this kind of abuse do not seek help due to social isolation and shaming, compounded by language barriers, low digital literacy, cultural biases and a general lack of awareness that TFA may constitute a criminal offense.
Combatting TFA is a challenging and evolving task, but Wellsprings for Women has led the way by developing digital and mobile-based resources as tools in the response to violence against women, in line with the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women recommendations.
With Telematics support, Wellspings will accelerate the design of digital resources with a focus on shaping attitudes of what is OK online, focusing on the needs of Dari speaking women – a first for Australia. The digital resources are modelled on a similar and very successful campaign in Quebec, and reshaped for primarily mobile-use, to reflect the enthusiastic adoption of mobile technologies by Afghan women.
Maximising Future Potential
Telematics is proud to have had a hand in a project that addresses an important social problem impacting a diverse, and often one of our most marginalised populations. We are especially enthusiastic about the future potential of these new resources given Wellsping’s enthusiasm to maximise the use of innovative technologies in their work.
Jocelyn Geary, Impact Strategist at Wellsprings for Women, had this to say about their partnership with Telematics Trust:
“Wellsprings for Women is exceptionally grateful to the Telematics Trust for supporting our groundbreaking project. The initiative aims to empower Dari-speaking women to navigate the digital world with confidence. We will use interactive digital resources to foster conversations about healthy online interactions within intimate relationships.
This project will provide practical tools to identify and address harmful online behaviors, and will create a safe space for women to share their experiences and learn collectively. The digital resources will be designed to meet the unmet cultural and linguistic needs of Dari speaking women so that users understand their rights, recognise how to protect their personal information and to feel more equipped to set boundaries.
This project would not have been possible without the support of Telematics, whose funding will enable us to develop a culturally tailored program and address a crucial gap in digital education.”
Belonging, Acceptance and Inclusion
This project represents a natural next step for Wellsprings for Women, who have been supporting refugee and migrant women from 39 countries of birth and who speak 33 languages for over 30 years. By offering a sense of belonging, acceptance and inclusion – regardless of faith, culture or life experience – Wellsprings is ensuring these newest members of our community can live safely.
To learn more about the Shaping Attitudes project and other inspiring Wellsprings programs, or to donate, head to their website.