US Institutions ‘Failing’ Cis/Trans Women Suffering Violence, Reveals Analysis

The increase in gender violence during the pandemic spurred millions of online discussions about US institutions and authorities "failing" cis and trans women, according to new media analysis. It also revealed a growing public distrust of institutions and authorities to hold perpetrators accountable.

In fact, most of the 8.6 million online conversations on violence against cis/trans girls and women that occurred in the US since March 2020 were dominated by discussions of violence either facilitated or perpetrated by institutions and authorities, confirmed global business intelligence platform Mavern Road. And online users denounced the authorities for failing to protect cis and trans girls and women through social media conversations.

Violence against cis and trans girls and women has significantly risen due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as lockdown restrictions increased exposure to abusers, and made it more difficult to denounce these crimes. However, Maven Road's analysis showed that online discussions started by 1.9 million users about gender violence transcended the pandemic; making it the context, not the content of their conversations.

"Our analytics team at Maven Road conducted a social listening analysis to gain a more in-depth understanding of what conversations during the pandemic reveal about this type of violence and its perpetrators," said Paul Herrera, COO & Co-founder at Maven Road. In their conversations, users expressed outrage at the violence perpetrated or facilitated by authorities against cis and trans girls and women from minority or marginalized groups. They also shed light on various cases of violence against Black girls and women, particularly that of Breonna Taylor; a medical worker who police officers shot and killed in March 2020. Nearly 10% of the users discussing gender-based violence mourned her death, raising awareness of the violence experienced by Black women at the hands of authorities.

Discussions also referenced the murders of two Black trans women – 19-year-old activist Oluwatoyin Salau, and Dominique "Rem'mie" Fells and Riah Milton. Their deaths sparked a Black Trans Lives Matter rally on June 14th in New York City. While their murders were not perpetrated by authorities, conversations about their deaths revealed a growing distrust among the public concerning the willingness and capability of institutions and authorities to hold the perpetrators accountable. Online users demanded justice for their deaths and advocated for the protection of all Black cis and trans women.

Several users discussing these cases have utilized the hashtag #SayHerName to emphasize the need to create policies to ensure the protection of all Black women and girls. They called out authorities whose role is to protect cis and trans girls and women for failing to do so, expressing growing concern for minorities and marginalized groups within their community. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, they mobilized for change.

"To build on that momentum as we take our first steps in returning to pre-COVID-19 life, it is more important than ever to contribute to the prevention of gender-based violence. Social media analysis provides us a unique glimpse into the issues and concerns of most relevance on the topic," highlighted Herrera. "Further analysis could yield even more insights on user perception, which could be used to inform policies and reforms or grassroot campaigns."

You can check out the full report here: Maven Road - Gender Violence: A Crisis Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic.