University of Jammu organizes awareness workshop on “Gender-based Cyber Violence: Emerging Threats and Legal Solutions” at GCW, Gandhi Nagar

JAMMU: The Centre for Women’s Studies (CWS), University of Jammu, in collaboration with the Department of Sociology and NSS Unit-1, PSPS GCW, Gandhi Nagar, Jammu, organized an awareness workshop titled “Gender-based Cyber Violence: Emerging Threats and Legal Solutions” at GCW, Gandhi Nagar, Jammu. The workshop aimed to sensitize young girls and faculty members to the growing threat of cybercrimes targeting women and to enhance understanding of the existing legal mechanisms to address such challenges.

Prof. Savita Nayyar, Director, Centre for Women’s Studies, was the key resource person for the workshop. In her address, she thanked Dr. Kulvinder Kour, Principal, PSPS GCW, Gandhi Nagar, Jammu, for providing the platform to interact with the students and faculty members. 

Prof. Nayyar elaborated on the evolving nature of cybercrimes against women, including online harassment, cyberstalking, identity theft, and misuse of digital platforms. She stated that while digital technologies have opened up new avenues for expression and empowerment, they have also given rise to cybercrimes that disproportionately target women. She further stressed that cybercrimes against women represent a serious and growing concern, as they often combine technological abuse with deep-rooted gender inequalities.

She also highlighted the legal provisions designed to deal with cyber offences, such as the Information Technology Act, 2000, and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The laws addressing issues like online harassment, defamation, obscenity, phishing, privacy breaches, and identity theft collectively offer mechanisms for legal redress. However, she noted that their effective enforcement is hindered by challenges including underreporting, limited public awareness, procedural inefficiencies, and lack of gender-sensitive approaches within enforcement systems. She stressed the need to strengthen reporting systems, promote digital literacy, and encourage shared responsibility to ensure safer online spaces for women. She concluded by emphasizing that safeguarding women in digital spaces is crucial for achieving gender justice and inclusive digital growth.

Dr. Saranjit Kaur, faculty, Centre for Women’s Studies, University of Jammu, presented the introductory context of the theme. Earlier, Dr. Suraj Mohani, Head, Department of Sociology, in her welcome address, emphasized the growing relevance of addressing cybercrimes against women in today’s digital era. She underscored the need for awareness, legal literacy, and collective responsibility, and expressed her hope that the workshop would contribute meaningfully to building a safer and more responsible digital environment.

A large number of students and faculty members actively participated in the discussion on contemporary cyber threats. The students also shared their personal experiences and raised various queries, which were answered by the resource person to their satisfaction. The programme concluded with a formal vote of thanks delivered by Dr. Disha Sharma, faculty, Centre for Women’s Studies, who thanked the keynote speaker, organizers, participants, and the collaborating department for their valuable contributions.