Exposed
Presenting Exposed, our 2024 Campaign on Intimate Image Abuse.
The calls and cases that our Helpline team receive shape the work of the ending Violence Against Women & Girls team. We tailor our prevention work to cater to issues that women call our helpline about. From 2023, the Helpline and Sahara Scotland team at Amina have seen a rise in BME women experiencing intimate image abuse.
The current legal definition for ‘intimate image’ in intimate image abuse does not adequately protect Muslim & BME women.
The legal definition of intimate image abuse is,
"Person A discloses, or threatens to disclose, a photograph or film which shows, or appears to show, another person (“B”) in an intimate situation”
In this definition, 'intimate' is defined as being something of sexual nature.
We know that Muslim & BME women's experiences of intimate image abuse differ. For them, intimate images could include photos without their hijab, or showing their bare legs. Whilst these examples do not fall under the legal definition of ‘intimate images’, many women in Scotland experience abuse at the hands of people using their photos and videos in this way. Perpetrators exploit such photographs to control and manipulate women, by sharing them without consent on social media, with friends and family, or even threatening to do so, in order to control women. This can lead to these women being ostracised by their families and communities, with severe and long-lasting consequences.
A key aim of our work is to open pathways of support for Muslim & BME women, while also equipping people with the understanding and skills to respond with kindness and empathy when a woman shares her experiences of abuse. We recently spoke to some young women and asked what they would do if this happened to them. They said, “Never go to parents. Keep it to myself or go to a close friend" and "Not go to the police as this would result in family finding out". We also asked the women how intimate image abuse would affect their reputation and they responded, "You would be disowned".
We are aiming to capture research about Muslim & BME women, who are often silenced on these issues. We hope to campaign for legislation that has greater scope and includes the lived experiences of BME women.
If you or a woman you know has experienced intimate image abuse, we would appreciate your participation in our anonymous survey. Your input will help to shape our work to meet your needs and advocate for women of colour to have their voices heard.