WOW 365: Research Revealed – Explicit Harms of Non-Explicit Images
Defining Image-Based Abuse in Pakistan and the Diaspora
Join Hera Hussain and Eva Blum-Domentet for a conversation about Chayn’s latest research and what it reveals about the realities of image-based abuse experienced by Pakistani women in Pakistan and across the diaspora.
Over two years, Chayn spoke with more than 60 women from cities and villages across Pakistan and from the diaspora. Their experiences show that image-based abuse cannot be understood through the narrow lens of nudity or sexual content.
A photo without a hijab. A video of dancing at a wedding. A screenshot of a private conversation. None of these images may be considered “explicit”, yet they can be used to threaten, blackmail, shame and control women.
The research challenges existing definitions of image-based abuse and highlights a crucial distinction: what makes an image harmful is not necessarily what it depicts, but whether it was shared with consent.
In this conversation, Hera and Eva will reflect on the research, its key learnings, and what it means to expand our understanding of image-based abuse – particularly in contexts where the consequences of non-consensual image sharing can extend beyond the survivor to their families, communities and wider lives.
Join us for a discussion on the findings, the stories behind the research, and what needs to change in how image-based abuse is understood, addressed and prevented.
This event is part of a series of events on WOW 365 brought to you by curators from South Asia.
