{"id":1142,"date":"2025-07-31T22:19:47","date_gmt":"2025-07-31T22:19:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oriaadvisory.com\/blog\/?p=1142"},"modified":"2025-08-13T15:46:04","modified_gmt":"2025-08-13T15:46:04","slug":"easy-to-abuse-hard-to-report-the-digital-literacy-paradox-in-tfgbv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oriaadvisory.com\/blog\/2025\/07\/31\/easy-to-abuse-hard-to-report-the-digital-literacy-paradox-in-tfgbv\/","title":{"rendered":"Easy to Abuse, Hard to Report: The Digital Literacy Paradox in TFGBV"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div style=\"height:80px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This week, I was invited\u00a0to deliver an expert talk and workshop for Youth groups in Ethiopia for their\u00a0<strong>technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV)<\/strong>\u00a0project. The session brought together 10 practitioners working in digital safety, policy, and community support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My talk focused on the intersection of&nbsp;<strong>low literacy, reporting systems, and inclusion barriers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What began as a discussion on programming trust and inclusion into the\u00a0<strong>a co-developed toolkit<\/strong> with Ethiopian stakeholders quickly became a shared recognition of how broken current reporting systems really are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:80px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Meet Liya<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rather than present abstract statistics, I shared&nbsp;<em>Liya<\/em>; a persona based on research insights from low-literacy users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"574\" src=\"https:\/\/oriaadvisory.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/TFGBV-Guest-Talk-K.D.Mohammed-1024x574.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1167\" srcset=\"https:\/\/oriaadvisory.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/TFGBV-Guest-Talk-K.D.Mohammed-1024x574.png 1024w, https:\/\/oriaadvisory.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/TFGBV-Guest-Talk-K.D.Mohammed-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/oriaadvisory.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/TFGBV-Guest-Talk-K.D.Mohammed-768x431.png 768w, https:\/\/oriaadvisory.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/TFGBV-Guest-Talk-K.D.Mohammed-1536x861.png 1536w, https:\/\/oriaadvisory.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/TFGBV-Guest-Talk-K.D.Mohammed-2048x1148.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Liya is confident using TikTok and WhatsApp for business and family, preferring these platforms because they\u2019re built for visual engagement: videos, voice notes, and storytelling, that don\u2019t rely heavily on reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When abuse appears like cruel comments in slang and intentional misspellings, she blames herself and doesn\u2019t attempt reporting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:80px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Structural Imbalance<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is where the paradox becomes clear:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Template abuse takes minimal literacy; reporting it demands high literacy and digital confidence.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Abusers can copy-paste template harassment with little effort. People like Liya, by contrast, face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Multi-step navigation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Abstract policy categories (e.g. harassment vs bullying)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dense, text-heavy reporting forms<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The reporting experience is designed for tech-savvy, high-literacy users; the very people least likely to face these barriers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:80px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Session Slides<\/h1>\n\n\n<div class=\"embed-pdf-viewer-wrapper aligncenter wp-block-embed-pdf-viewer-pdf\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"embed-pdf-viewer\" src=\"https:\/\/oriaadvisory.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/ToolkitTalk-TFGBV.pdf\" height=\"728\" width=\"564\" title=\"\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:60px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Walking in Liya\u2019s Shoes<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To test these barriers, I asked participants to choose a platform and try reporting harmful content by imagining where Liya would get stuck, what skills she doesn\u2019t have, and what would be impossible to explain to her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What happened next validated my research and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:80px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What Practitioners Discovered<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The interactive exercise revealed the same barriers users like Liya face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Facebook Reels<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cLanguage restrictions, terms are complex with lots of titles and definitions. Multiple steps are hard to explain&#8230; very broad categories but also limiting regarding gender.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>TikTok<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cReport section is hard to find, hidden under the \u2018share\u2019 icon&#8230; confused by the labels and hard English vocab&#8230; Liya wouldn\u2019t want to be wrong when reporting, so she might not end up reporting&#8230; Ethiopian languages not well represented&#8230; lots of icons: we take this for granted, but the buttons have symbols which are a language themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>WhatsApp<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou have to hold down the message for a long time for the option to pop up. This can be hard to explain! I\u2019ve watched my granny struggle with knowing how long to hold it down for.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One participant noted:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSome apps have no report systems. It is difficult to report on YouTube. Also it has no distinct section for report bar.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:80px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>From Solutions to Systemic Change<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What fascinated me was watching solutions evolve in real time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They started with&nbsp;<strong>individual actions<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWomen should start by doing a quick digital safety check: review privacy settings, turn off location sharing, limit who can interact with them, use strong passwords with two-factor authentication.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But quickly shifted to&nbsp;<strong>structural demands<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe should suggest\/demand that apps are translated into the languages of all countries they operate in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe steps are quite long to report someone\u2026 all platforms should review each and every report and make users feel their report counts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe may need something as strong as a <strong>revolution!<\/strong> Women boycotting platforms that are not safe for women.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:80px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Validation of Design Principles<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The \u201crevolution\u201d comment wasn\u2019t hyperbole, it was recognition. These practitioners, experts in their fields, had just experienced what Liya faces every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The shift from individual fixes to systemic change mirrored exactly what my research suggested: this isn\u2019t <em>only<\/em> a user education problem,&nbsp;<strong>it\u2019s a design justice problem<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Their struggles validated our trauma-informed design principles:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Transparency<\/strong>: clear feedback, no mysterious processes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Choice<\/strong>: multiple pathways to action<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Safety<\/strong>: no shaming language<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Collaboration<\/strong>: designing with excluded communities, not for them with constant feedback loops<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:80px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Bigger Picture<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This session reinforced something critical about inclusive design research: we can\u2019t just study excluded users and design&nbsp;<em>for<\/em>&nbsp;them. We need to create experiences that help privileged users understand exclusion viscerally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When experts struggle with reporting systems, they begin to grasp what those systems do to vulnerable users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The session also highlighted the&nbsp;<strong>ecosystem nature<\/strong>&nbsp;of the problem:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This isn\u2019t just about better User Interfaces\/User experience (UI\/UX)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It\u2019s about platform accountability, policy frameworks, community support systems, and yes, sometimes revolution<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As one participant noted:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"87\" src=\"https:\/\/oriaadvisory.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot-2025-08-13-at-15.10.42-1024x87.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1189\" srcset=\"https:\/\/oriaadvisory.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot-2025-08-13-at-15.10.42-1024x87.png 1024w, https:\/\/oriaadvisory.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot-2025-08-13-at-15.10.42-300x25.png 300w, https:\/\/oriaadvisory.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot-2025-08-13-at-15.10.42-768x65.png 768w, https:\/\/oriaadvisory.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot-2025-08-13-at-15.10.42.png 1120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:80px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Reflection<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The work continues. But now I know that when we put research into practice, when we ask people to walk in excluded users\u2019 shoes, the call for systemic change<strong> becomes inevitable.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:80px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This week, I was invited\u00a0to deliver an expert talk and workshop for Youth groups in Ethiopia for their\u00a0technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV)\u00a0project. The session brought together 10 practitioners working in digital safety, policy, and community support. My talk focused on the intersection of&nbsp;low literacy, reporting systems, and inclusion barriers. What began as a discussion on programming&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1173,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[61,6],"tags":[17,35,15,55,63,62],"class_list":["post-1142","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-invited-talks","category-skills","tag-digital-literacy","tag-functional-illiteracy","tag-inclusive-design","tag-low-literacy-users","tag-online-abuse","tag-tfgbv"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/oriaadvisory.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1142","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/oriaadvisory.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/oriaadvisory.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oriaadvisory.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oriaadvisory.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1142"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/oriaadvisory.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1142\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1190,"href":"https:\/\/oriaadvisory.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1142\/revisions\/1190"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oriaadvisory.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1173"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/oriaadvisory.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1142"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oriaadvisory.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1142"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oriaadvisory.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1142"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}