All-female police team fights online abuse in Bangladesh

An all-female police unit in Bangladesh has been formed to tackle online abuse and harassment targeting women, which is on the rise in the country. It aims to encourage more women to come forward and report digital abuse, including revenge porn, social media account hacks, and online threats and blackmails. Around 6100 cases of digital abuse of women under different laws have been filed. Last month, the government extended the use of the death penalty for rapists due to an online video showing a group of men sexually assaulting a woman. The burst of online sexual abuse comes as a result of increased Internet usage in the region. ‘It’s easier to target women online rather than in the real world. All you need is a phone,’ said the general secretary of women’s rights group Bangladesh Mahila Parishad.