Women harassed online need to speak out, SXSW gaming panellists say

Online harassment andsexism is demeaning women and can no longer be brushed aside asan ugly side of social media and the gaming industry if they areto thrive, panellists on Saturday said at the South By Southwest(SXSW) tech meeting in Austin.

The gaming summit at one of the premier events on the globaltech calendar had faced threats of violence, prompting
organizers in October to initially suspend two panels on thesubject. After facing a flood of criticism from online media
firms, SXSW organizers reversed course and set up a full day ofdiscussions on the subject.

Online harassment of women, often involving threats of horrific violence, has become a big issue and video games are a frequent flashpoint. Two years ago, the online "Gamergate" movement, ostensibly a protest over the ethics of game journalists, also fuelled Twitter attacks on female critics replete with gutter-level abuse and assault threats. Some targets left their homes or canceled speaking engagements, fearing for their safety.

• Gamergate: Has the online world turned against women?

In the male-dominated world of multiplayer online games like Grand Theft Auto,Halo,and Call of Duty,many women say they've had to take drastic steps to escape harassment, stalking and violent threats from male players. Some quit particular games. Others change their screen names or make sure they play only with friends.

Panelist Wendy Davis, a former Texas Democratic senator wholost a race for governor in 2014, said she has been a target ofextensive harassment since rising to national fame in 2013 bystaging an 11-hour filibuster to block an abortion restrictionbill.

"It's really important for the women who were subject ofthat ... to speak up and speak out, and to name the fact that
it's happening," she said in a session titled "Women in theMedia and Online Harassment."

She said a flood of articles and comments were publishedabout her personal life and appearance "that would not have evenbeen a topic of conversation" for male politicians.

Online harassment is a pervasive but often hidden from view.According to Pew Research Center, 40 per cent of internet usershave personally experienced harassment online, such asname-calling, sexual harassment and stalking.

Young adults are the most likely demographic group to bevictims, while women are often treated unfairly and harassed,the centre said.

"Let's all decide and agree that it's not playing victim tocall it out when it's happening. Because if we don't, we empowerit to continue." Davis said.

Not always effective

However, some victims say that doesn't always work.

Becky Heineman, the 52-year-old founder of the Olde Skuul game studio in Seattle, was an aficionado of shoot-em-ups like Haloand Call of Duty.But constant catcalls from other players and questions about her bra size or "whether I do it on top or bottom, or other derogatory things," she says, wore her down.

Reporting her harassers never seemed to make a difference, she told the Associated Press ahead of the gaming summit. She limited her play to friends for a while, but now mostly focuses on simple single-player games like Cookie Clickeron her phone and computer.

Kate Edwards, executive director of the International Game Developers Associationacknowledges that dealing with harassment is a difficult challenge. "You're dealing with minors versus adults," she says. "You're dealing with free speech issues. It's a struggle for companies to figure out exactly how to approach it."

Security was tight in the venue where the summit was held,with bag checks required and police stationed in each room.

• Study finds men who harass women online are losers... at video games