“Globally, 85 percent of women have experienced or witnessed digital violence against other women, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit. This abuse takes on many ugly forms: non-consensual sharing of intimate images (aka “revenge porn,” a problematic term as it suggests consent in creating pornography and that a survivor did something to deserve vengeance), cyberstalking, sextortion, doxxing (revealing a person’s personal details online), and deepfake porn (in which a woman’s head is attached to someone else’s body in sexually explicit scenarios.) It is prevalent, persistent, repetitive, widespread—and can be perpetrated by an anonymous aggressor from anywhere in the world.
While the violence is committed online, the offline consequences are brutal and long-lasting, from terror and anxiety to depression and suicidal thoughts. The ringing of a mobile phone can remain a lifelong trigger.”
Photo: SAM HENRIQUES FOR UNFPA
You’ll recognize Norma Buster if you have ever been a client of our law firm.
She’s the person who listens with the utmost care to the stories of those who come to us looking for support with a problem. Many times they have nowhere else to turn, often they have never said the words aloud before. They come to her with a bag of fear and shame and confusion, and Norma unpacks it with compassion and professionalism.
We recently calculated that Norma has heard, processed, and translated the story of around 2000 people since she joined our team.
What many of those people don’t realize is that Norma started off as a client of this firm.
Here’s *her* story in ELLE Magazine.