- Conference
- 2024 National Women's Conference
- Date
- 11 October 2023
- Decision
- Carried
This conference knows how much digital technology has changed all our lives. The use of mobile phones, social media, home camera systems does make our communication with work colleagues, friends, and family so much quicker and easier. In the main these are all good methods to keep us safe and in touch. However there has been a growing trend for some women who have experienced coercive and controlling behaviour by partners who use this technology to control women. Tracking their movements, seeing who they are friends with and what they are saying.
A report in the summer from The Culture, Media and Sport Committee of Westminster Parliament called on the Government to do more to tackle technology facilitated abuse. Smart speakers, door alarms, baby monitors are in home devices which are increasing being used to monitor women. The report highlighted that most of the abuse that occurs now will feature “some sort of cyber element”. The Committee said that there was a need to do more to tackle this growing trend to help survivors. It is not right that women are told to come offline if they want to remain safe. That is just another restriction placed on women who have a right to be able to use digital technology without the worry that they are being tracked and monitored.
Unison with over a million women members needs to be at the forefront in raising awareness of this issue of digital abuse and we can do so.
Conference calls upon the Women’s Committee to:
1)Work with Branches, Regions, and Self Organised Groups to highlight the dangers of digital technology being used to subject women to coercive and controlling behaviour.
2. To produce guidance that can help to signpost help and support for members both at home and in the workplace. Either by way of a published hard copy document or electronic copy.