The Goa Women’s Forum (GWF) on Monday submitted a memorandum to the South Goa Superintendent of Police, marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The delegation, led by convenor Lorna Fernandes, said the Forum was unable to meet the SP in person but handed over its memorandum seeking specific interventions on technology-facilitated abuse.
Fernandes said the aim of the visit was to highlight this year’s global theme, “Digital violence is real violence.”
“We have basically put in five points that he needs to create awareness because the theme for this day is digital violence is also violence,” she said, adding that the Forum expects an action plan to help women understand the risks associated with digital tools, especially as technology increasingly shapes everyday interactions.
The Forum said incidents of gender-based violence have escalated with the expansion of digital platforms. Forms of abuse such as stalking, hate speech, sexual harassment, misinformation, defamation, and impersonation have intensified, while newer threats—including deepfakes, hacking, trolling, cyberbullying, and online grooming—are becoming more widespread.
In its memorandum, the GWF proposed a district-level action plan that includes Taluka-based awareness initiatives in partnership with the Cyber-crime Cell, training programmes for women teachers, Village Child Committees, elected representatives of panchayats and municipal councils, and women’s self-help groups. It asks for measures to curb technology-driven sexual exploitation networks, and structured capacity-building for Village Child Committees. The Forum has also sought training for senior citizen volunteers to assist in prevention efforts.
Fernandes said the group had earlier submitted a separate memorandum regarding a controversial “Osho” poster, which they claimed projected Goa as a “sexual tourism destination.” She urged authorities to initiate suo motu action, stressing that such portrayals undermine efforts to promote Goa as a family-friendly destination.
The Goa Women’s Forum expects to meet the South Goa SP in the coming days to discuss the concerns in detail.
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