Olimpia Coral Melo gained notoriety for all the wrong reasons, but she used the unwanted sexual attention she received to help other Latinas regain control of their bodies and dignity online. A video of Coral Melo having sex with her then-boyfriend was shared on social media in her native Mexico when she was just 18. Her ex-boyfriend denies sharing the material, but Coral Melo fell into a deep depression and attempted suicide due to the unwanted online exposure. Determined to seek justice, she advocated against revenge porn, leading to the outlawing of the practice in Mexico in 2020.
The laws resulting from Coral Melo’s work, collectively known as the Olimpia Law, have had a significant impact on Latin American women who have been wronged. In recognition of her efforts, the Argentine Congress recently approved a series of groundbreaking reforms named after her. In addition, rights groups in Honduras, Guatemala, Ecuador, and Chile are advocating for similar legislation. However, Coral Melo believes there is still more work to be done. She believes that the landmark laws are falling short in their execution and that social media platforms should also take more responsibility in preventing the objectification and sexualization of women’s bodies.
A recent analysis by the Thomson Reuters Foundation shows that despite Mexico criminalizing revenge porn three years ago, victims still face numerous obstacles when pursuing justice. In 2022, 9.8 million women in Mexico experienced online harassment, with a third of them being targets of digital sexual violence. Among women and girls who experienced online harassment, 4.3% were threatened with the publication or sale of explicit images without their consent.
Coral Melo believes that social media platforms are partly to blame for the obstacles faced by victims. She argues that companies are profiting from markets of sexual exploitation and should do more to prevent it. Efforts to combat revenge porn globally have faced various challenges, including a lack of police training and slow government action.
In Mexico, where 94% of all crimes go unreported, most online sexual violence goes unnoticed. Furthermore, very few cases of revenge porn are reported to the police or public prosecutor. Stigma and victim-blaming contribute to women’s reluctance to report such crimes and seek justice. Additionally, available statistics from Mexico indicate that few reported cases of revenge porn result in punishment.
Social media platforms such as Meta and X present another major obstacle. These platforms often fail to disclose the identity of individuals who distribute illegal content, even when abusers use fake or anonymous profiles. Platforms play a crucial role in providing tracing information to law enforcement agencies, but they frequently do not cooperate.
Despite the challenges, there have been positive developments. The Olimpia Law has inspired other countries in Latin America, with Argentina recently decreeing that digital violence is a specific type of violence against women. The country is also considering additional reforms, including adding digital violence to the school sex education curriculum. Advocates believe that prevention through education is crucial in combating revenge porn and other forms of online harassment.
The efforts of Coral Melo and others are paving the way for change in Latin America. By raising awareness, pushing for legislative reforms, and demanding accountability from social media platforms, they aim to empower women and rebuild their dignity in the online space.
Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation
