Bhutan has laws and institutions to tackle cybercrime, gender-based violence and online safety. But responsibilities remain fragmented, reporting procedures are unclear, and systems are not fully prepared for emerging threats such as deepfakes and AI-generated sexual content. Against this backdrop, UNFPA and RENEW released the Rapid Assessment of Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence today.
Technology-facilitated gender-based violence is any act of violence or abuse directed at a person based on their gender that is committed or amplified using digital media, smartphones, or the internet. It can take many forms, from cyberbullying and harassment to impersonation, blackmail and sharing intimate images without consent.
According to the assessment, women, children and LGBTQ+ communities remain vulnerable to such online harm. The assessment also found that many people are unclear about where and how to report such violence.
“Technology has always been a part of the gender-based violence cases we receive. I remember a case from two or three years ago involving a woman who had recorded an intimate video while she was in a relationship. When the computer containing the video was sent for repair, the repair shop accessed and took the video, and it was later used to blackmail her. Her partner also began blackmailing her, leaving her extremely distressed and struggling with her mental well-being,” said Meenakshi Rai (PhD), Director, Programme and Service, RENEW.
She added that the lack of a strong system has made it difficult to take such cases seriously and hold perpetrators accountable.
“What we hope is that when a client comes to RENEW, we should be able to connect her with the other service providers without making her go from one agency to another. There needs to be stronger coordination among service providers,” added Meenakshi Rai (PhD), Director, Programme and Service, RENEW.
The assessment also found that Bhutan lacks systematic national data on technology-facilitated gender-based violence. Fear, stigma and uncertainty about reporting may contribute to underreporting.
It recommends clearer reporting and referral pathways, better coordination among agencies, stronger survivor support and training for frontline workers.
It also calls for better data collection and systems that can respond to emerging forms of online abuse.
“Before the country embarks on a major initiative to prevent and respond to tech-facilitated gender-based violence, it’s really important to have a baseline, to understand what the scope of the problem is, what forms it is taking, and to understand what is ground zero so that a plan can be put in place. And for that, you need the data, you need the evidence, you need to understand what kinds of things are happening to be able to really plan appropriate responses. So that’s why the data is coming at a very timely point,” said Andrea M. Wojnar, Country Director, UNFPA Bhutan.
As online abuse takes new forms, the assessment says Bhutan must strengthen its response, protect victims and make it easier for them to seek help.
Tashi Dekar
Edited by Sonam Pem
