With the increased availability of technology such as generative artificial intelligence and deepfake software, the prevalence of online image-based sexual violence is growing exponentially worldwide, with little legal recourse or support for millions of victims and survivors.
Image-based sexual violence is the threat or act of creating and sharing intimate images without consent. It is a violation of privacy and consent that disproportionately affects women and LGBTQ+ individuals. We believe that all of us can – and indeed must – work to transform the systems and cultures that enable online sexual violence.
That’s why we're proud to announce today the launch of Panorama's latest initiative, The Reclaim Coalition to End Online Image-based Sexual Violence. This new coalition marks progress toward a global, unified movement in the fight against this form of gender-based violence.
“The last decade has made clear that a unified, global movement is required to address and prevent digital forms of sexual violence, which simply cannot be bound by the borders of individual jurisdictions. We are thrilled, as a survivor-centered coalition, to work alongside experts from over 20 countries who are leaders in the fight against online image-based sexual violence.” - Andrea Powell, Director of The Reclaim Coalition secretariat, Panorama Global
The Reclaim Coalition aligns high-impact global partnerships and mobilizes joint action across advocacy, policy, technology, and survivor services to protect women, adolescent girls, and other vulnerable groups from experiencing online sexual violence, and to ensure that all survivors have recourse and access to support.
Over the past few decades, developments in technology have unintentionally enabled a new form of gender-based violence that impacts individuals across generations, borders, and demographics—online image-based sexual violence. The statistics are alarming:
• More than half of women from 51 countries experienced image-based sexual violence
• In the US, 1 in 12 adults have had nonconsensual images shared online and half of those who experienced image-based sexual violence in the U.S. reported they contemplated or attempted suicide.
• In Australia, 1 in 5 women between the ages of 18-25 are victims of image-based sexual violence.
• More than 55,000 cases of image-based sexual violence were reported to the Korea Communications Standards Commission in 2022.
Survivors experience high levels of psychological distress or trauma, reputational and social damage, and physical or sexual assault. Despite the growing prevalence and widespread harms of image-based sexual violence, this issue is still vastly underrepresented in local, national, and international human rights conversations and enforcement.
But we have an opportunity to build a greater sense of urgency on a global scale among policymakers, tech companies, and the public about this issue.
Image-based sexual violence is not an inevitable byproduct of our digital lives, and the harms that follow can be mitigated through listening to survivors’ expertise and advancing global collaboration. By strategically combining decades of global expertise in the fight against online sexual violence, The Reclaim Coalition serves as a field catalyst to accelerate the speed and scale at which we can end this form of gender-based violence.
But the rapidly evolving nature of technology and the ongoing threat of online image-based sexual violence highlight the urgency for sustained investments in this critical work. As this movement gains traction, coordinated efforts to influence strategic philanthropy can make an outsized difference and catalyze the field to take its work to the next level.
Together, we can raise awareness, support all survivors, and work towards ending all forms of image-based sexual violence.
“I am a part of The Reclaim Coalition to ensure that we create a digital world that is inclusive and where we are all safe, regardless of our gender, race, sexual orientation, and profession. The digital world is a place of innovation and connection. We all deserve to be here, and I stand with The Reclaim Coalition to make this a reality.” - Anastasia Karagianni, Co-Founder of DATAWO (Greece)
Visit the website to read our global landscape analysis and sign up to stay up to date with this important work.
The Reclaim Coalition (formerly the Image-Based Sexual Abuse initiative) is powered by Panorama Global —a social impact nonprofit that empowers changemakers through radical collaboration—with seed funding from The Greenbaum Foundation, the Jensen Project, and Bumble, inc.
