The WE-Talk AI GBV Narrative Challenge

This is Part 5 of a series inviting readers to take the AI GBV Narrative Challenge. The challenge was created using insights from a study that used artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse Jamaican online discussions about gender-based violence (GBV) between 2021 and 2023. The study identified 11 main “narratives” around GBV. These narratives are strong, shared beliefs that Jamaicans have which often contribute to GBV in the country. As you read more about these 11 narratives, see if you can identify them in your own everyday speech and thought and join us in challenging them using the strategies suggested.

Narrative 5: ‘Unfaithful & Unfeeling’

This is the shared belief that in relationships with men, women are unfaithful and deceitful by nature, as evidenced in cheating or paternity fraud.

Why is this narrative dangerous?

First and foremost: Painting all women as wicked, unfeeling, immoral, untrustworthy, deceitful, disloyal, and unfaithful is dangerous because it is not fair or true. All the people in one group can’t be classified as being one thing. All Jamaicans are not ganja smokers or scammers; all country people are not bad English speakers; all inner-city people are not violent; all men are not abusive; and all women are not unfaithful and unfeeling.

This narrative is also dangerous because it is often used as a justification for causing hurt or harm to women. It is used as an argument to say that they ‘deserve’ abuse or punishment. People who support this narrative believe things like: If she is a cheater, she deserves to be beaten (which is physical abuse). If she is not a good mother, she should get cursed and berated and shouldn’t get any money (which is verbal, psychological, and financial abuse). Violence towards women then becomes justified, and to make matters worse, women’s stories of violence and victimisation are dismissed.

Key AI study findings:

1/ Who is interested in this narrative?

● Women accounted for 69 per cent of the discourse on the unfaithful & unfeeling narrative

● 54 per cent of the posts about the unfaithful & unfeeling narrative were from persons aged 25-44 years old

2/ What is the sentiment around this narrative?

• 66 per cent of the conversation around this narrative was negative (for example, posts were highlighting women being ‘evil’, ‘wicked’, and ‘unfaithful’ and saying women are programmed to be that way)

• 11 per cent of the conversation around this narrative was neutral (for example, people simply quoted statistics around the narrative)

• 23 per cent of the conversation around this narrative was positive (people were challenging the belief that all women are cruel or evil and posting messages that humanise and celebrate women).

3/ Is this narrative emerging, receding, dominant, or stable?

• Receding (meaning few people were posting about it, and that number is lessening)

Take the challenge – be the change!

How can you challenge this narrative?

• Don’t make unfair negative generalisations about women and challenge those who do. Generalisations tend to be inaccurate because we are all so diverse and different. All women cannot be cruel, disloyal, and wicked. That’s simply not true.

• Watch how you speak about GBV – ensure you’re not also saying that if a woman does X, then she deserves Y kind of abuse. Be careful to not use negative generalisations or what you believe are negative traits to justify abuse. Remember — and remind people in your community — that there is absolutely no excuse for abuse.

These findings are taken from the study ‘Tapping Social Media Using Artificial Intelligence to Understand Gender-Based Violence Norms and Perceptions in Jamaica’ done under the WE-Talk for the Reduction of Gender-Based Violence project, being implemented by WMW Jamaica and CariMAN, funded by Global Affairs Canada and Oxfam Canada. Full research findings are available at https://cutt.ly/WE-Talk-AI-Study. For more details contact hello@wmwja.org.