Due to the pandemic caused by SARS-CoV2 or coronavirus, the Mexican population has increased the use of technologies to maintain their daily activities from home. The internet has been, apart from the digital gap, the tool that enables online classes, remote work, virtual meetings, among other activities. Despite this, the use of the network also carries a risk that affects explicitly women and girls: cyber violence. On various occasions, this problem has been referred to by social organizations, specialists, and activists throughout the health emergency. The U.N. Women positioned the development of prevention and response measures to cyber violence and cyberbullying as one of the strategies and recommendations to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls against COVID 19. The document Prevention of Violence against Women in Latin America and the Caribbean was issued in April of this year.

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Proposals issued by the United Nations (U.N.) include strengthening the legal framework that prevents, addresses and sanctions cyber violence, streamline mechanisms for reporting cases, and raising awareness about cyber violence through online campaigns and messages. The needs of the current events have caused women, who represent 68.6% of the population who use the internet. According to data from the Federal Institute of Telecommunications (IFT), increasing the use of the internet in their daily lives has created a concern for increased exposure of women and girls to cyber violence. In this regard, U.N Women stated the following: "As online time increases, virtual exposure of women, girls, and adolescents in general rise through online work, education or activism (in addition to online entertainment spaces). There are indications that cyber violence and cyberbullying intensify in virtual areas such as social networks, chat rooms, online conferencing services, and online games. "

During the pandemic, child pornography trafficking has increased

On the other hand, Carolina Pacheco Luna, through the UNAM Feminist Laboratory for Digital Rights, mentioned during the webinar "The effects of COVID19 on the communication rights and information of women" that cyber violence during the pandemic is associated with 14% increase in crime rates in cyberspace and a 73% increase in trafficking child pornography. She also indicated that, based on data from the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System (SESNSP), only in March in Mexico, there was an increase in searches for "child porn" and "sex with adolescents" by 117%.

Thanks to the development of technology, gender violence finds a new space for its reproduction and becomes cyber violence against women and girls. It occurs in digital environments and supported by internet infrastructure. This type of abuse includes activities such as cyberbullying, non-consensual pornography,  grooming (harassment by an adult towards a child), and doxing (the publication of private information without the person's consent).

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Some institutions and organizations promoted by the portal of the Secretariat of Women of the Government of Mexico City (SEMUJERES) that provide support, information, and guidance for victims of cyber violence are:

CDMX Preventive Cybercrime Police?

Cyber Police of the National Security Commission?

CDMX Public Safety Citizen Council?

Article 19?

Fighters?

Network in Defense of Digital Rights (R3D)?

Communication and Information of Women A.C. (CIMAC)?

Iberoamerican Center for Cybersecurity Development and Research? Alliance for Internet Safety A.C.

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Traducción: Valentina K. Yanes