Women from diverse cultural backgrounds are facing multiple barriers when seeking help over technological abuse, like stalking, hacking and online threats.
An Australian-first study from the eSafety office has found issues like visa uncertainty, shame and language difficulties are all having an impact.
New research by the eSafety Office has found women from culturally diverse communities struggle to seek support for online harassment, stalking or threats experienced as part of domestic violence.
The eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant says the research is based on information provided by 29 women who had experienced technology-facilitated abuse and 20 stakeholders who provide support to women.
The research found shaming and traditional gender roles often prevent women seeking support; low digital literacy plays a significant role as well as a lack of awareness that tech abuse may constitute a crime.
In response, the eSafety Office has rolled out online guides in 12 languages for communities with the highest incidence of reported domestic violence.
The languages include Arabic, Chinese, Vietnamese, Tamil, Thai, Persian, Filipino, Hindi, Spanish, Punjabi and Karen.
