topics, particularly those related to sex and gender, due to the risk of abuse and sexual harassment”. The LGBTQI+ activist we interviewed recounted: We called for action on social media and rallied under “Our sarong, our flag, and our victory” as a solidarity movement for women under systemic repression. Under [our post], we saw a lot of comments [amounting to] sexual harassment. Some of us experience a lot of sexual harassment with people sending inappropriate images in our chat boxes. (KII-1) The 2023 study by GEN and MIP also found that the private photos of WHRDs – obtained by accessing the mobile phones of arrested women – were distributed through Telegram accounts affiliated with the SAC. A woman political activist we interviewed shared her experience: I had a severe allergic reaction and took photos of my whole body at that time. Since my entire body was affected, I took some photos with less clothing to keep for documentation. They took these photos and kept them separately in their phones. They distributed them widely. While I was in detention, they would come and verbally harass me, saying things like “I’ve already seen your photos. Wow, you look really hot.” That kind of harassment happened to me. (KII-8) 4.3 Increased vulnerability of women during internet shutdowns Internet shutdowns, including the blocking of platforms to prevent the public from using the internet for everyday communications, disconnect people from each other and stop the flow of crucial information in times of crisis. This research showed that there were instances where they placed WHRDs at increased physical risk and prevented vulnerable women from finding the vital support services they needed. A WHRD described the impact of these shutdowns on the safety of the journalists she works with who are exposed to unnecessary physical risks as they try to get online: For female journalists, they can’t pay attention to their own security due to internet difficulties. They have to go up hills or to remote places just to get access and that increases risks of violence. She described how being unable to communicate also created a climate of concern and alarm: One of the journalists from Rakhine State committed to join our training. Then she disappeared for two months. There was no internet, no mobile phone connection – we didn’t even know what had happened to her. Situations like that do happen. (KII-7) 19