“The ease with which discrimination and violence have spilled over from real life into the online world is shocking, leaving unimaginable consequences for the victims. Most often, someone protected by anonymity deliberately destroys another person’s life — and mostly without consequences,” said Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Brankica Janković, at an event organized as part of the “She Won’t Stay Silent” initiative by the editorial team of Ona.rs, in support of women exposed to harassment and violence on the internet.

At the panel “Is Online Violence Real Violence?”, Janković emphasized that the victims of online violence are most often women, including very young girls, showing that the digital world has become a space where patriarchy and misogyny are expanding. “We can only put a stop to this together — by not staying silent, but fighting with every available tool – through laws, education, campaigns, and dialogue,” the Commissioner stated. On that occasion, she also reminded attendees of the initiative launched by the Commissioner’s institution to introduce unauthorized use of photos and videos on the internet as a specific criminal offense.

The event was opened by Sandra Subotin, editor-in-chief of Ona.rs portal, and the panel featured Dragana Radošević, Project Manager at AFA, Jelena Radović, sociologist and expert in digital communications, Sanja Pavlović from the Autonomous Women’s Center, Kristina Cvetičanin Knežević, sociologist and influencer (Feminism from the Gym), and Marija Savić, Manager of the Intesa Foundation. The panel was moderated by Nina Gavrilović, social media content specialist.