Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook) highlighted a series of initiatives on Wednesday, aimed at helping women be safer online. These initiatives will equip women with tools and resources, in their native languages including in Marathi, to better navigate the online world.
One key initiative is a new Women’s Safety Hub and a campaign called ‘Safe Stree’. Madhu Singh Sirohi, Head of Policy Programs and Outreach, Facebook India, said, “The safety and wellbeing of our community on Facebook and Instagram is a priority, and we’re continuously investing in it. We’ve launched a Women’s Safety Hub and a campaign, ‘Safe Stree on Instagram’, in that pursuit and are making it available in regional languages… for it to benefit all of India. We aim to continue with this effort, through our products, policies and programs.”
Meta also launched StopNCII.org in partnership with UK Revenge Porn Helpline. In India, the platform has partnered with organizations such as Social Media Matters, Centre for Social Research, and Red Dot Foundation and will empower women across the world to combat and prevent the spread of non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII).
The safety hub contains video on-demand safety trainings and allows visitors to register for live safety training. It was launched in Marathi along with 11 other Indian languages, ensuring millions of women, especially non-English speakers do not face a language barrier in accessing information easily.
Safe Stree on Instagram, in partnership with youth media company Yuvaa and Pink Legal, a platform to understand women’s rights and laws will aim to challenge gender stereotypes and create a safer and kinder online space for women. There is a training program for creators on ways to build more inclusive spaces online, and a content series on Reels highlighting safety features available for women on Instagram, made by a diverse set of 6 women creators in their own native languages.
In the past year, the company has also launched several safety features in the Facebook and Instagram app, such as Hidden Words, Limits, Comments Control, multi-block and the option to hide likes.