Sri Lanka, like most countries, is not immune to the consequences of online hate speech, discrimination, and misinformation. Online Misogyny During COVID-19Online violence against women has seen a dramatic increase in frequency since the arrival of COVID-19, particularly within South Asian countries. As such, the initiative is part of a broader strategy by the UNDP to counter online hate speech that contributes to social division, a lack of tolerance for diversity, and expressions of hate in the real world, all of which can lead to violent extremism. Their campaign targets digital spaces that attract largely male audiences, including meme pages and online forums that may perpetuate gender stereotypes, rape culture, and hate speech under the guise of dark humor. A graphic post discouraging online misogyny from the #NotCoolBro campaign.Cool BroUsing the anonymous persona ‘The Cool Bro’ as a vehicle for messaging, the creators behind the campaign hope to disrupt patterns of gender-based hate speech.

Source: The Nation July 23, 2021 10:52 UTC