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A free digital self-defence and self-care workshop for women is being held at 13:00 today.
The event, run by Glitchuk and Elect Her, aims to equip attendees with safety techniques and strategies against online abuse including on social media.
“For too long, women have felt unable to take up their rightful space online due to ongoing online abuse against women,” said a spokesperson for Elect Her, an organisation seeking to have more women elected into political roles.
Guernsey’s Women in Public Life group shared the event on social media. All women and non-binary people are invited to attend.
Pictured: Deputy Lindsay De Sausmarez.
Deputy Lindsay De Sausmarez said that the workshop would be useful.
“I have had some really nasty emails, but it hasn’t only happened to me," she said.
"All deputies have experienced online abuse to some extent, and, on one or two occasions, the police have been involved for credible threats. The workshop sounds like it would be useful to anyone."
Pictured: Deputy Lindsay De Sausmarez said her social media experience had been mostly positive.
Deputy De Sausmarez said that there were both benefits and pitfalls to social media.
“I find social media a fantastic tool because it’s an instant, open line of communication with the public and it is essential that politicians are as accessible as possible.
“Social media also allows islanders to come together in a way they never could before. Take, for example, the quick response islanders had to clearing up the plastic bottles that washed up over the weekend. That would never have been possible without social media.
“There are, of course, downsides like cyber bulling and online harassment and that is sadly a facet of modern life.”
Deputy De Sausmarez said her experience was mostly positive.
“I would stress that the vast majority of people who get in touch are polite. I hope that the fear of online abuse won’t deter anyone from running for political roles because we need as representative government as possible and diversity is key to that.”
To attend the free online workshop CLICK HERE
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