The landscape of gender-based violence is undergoing a seismic and terrifying shift. While the physical world remains a site of persistent danger—where an estimated 245 million women and girls aged 15 and older are subjected to physical or sexual violence by intimate partners every year—the digital realm has emerged as a new, unregulated frontier for abuse. As technology evolves at a breakneck pace, the tools intended to connect humanity are increasingly being weaponized to silence, shame, and subjugate women. This is no longer a peripheral issue of “internet safety”; it is a global human rights crisis that demands an immediate, unified response from governments, tech giants, and civil society.
Statistics regarding digital violence are staggering, yet they likely represent only the tip of the iceberg due to chronic under-reporting and a lack of standardized tracking. Current studies indicate that up to 58 percent of women and 20 percent of girls have encountered some form of digital violence. This spectrum of abuse ranges from targeted harassment and doxxing to the non-consensual distribution of intimate images. The consequences of this digital onslaught are far-reaching, eroding public trust in information systems and fueling a toxic environment of polarization. Perhaps most disturbingly, online gender-based violence is increasingly linked to violent extremism and an organized “anti-rights” backlash that seeks to roll back decades of progress in gender equality.
The advent of sophisticated Artificial Intelligence (AI) has added a volatile new dimension to this crisis. AI tools are not merely amplifying existing patterns of abuse; they are creating entirely new categories of exploitation. Deepfakes—AI-generated media that can make a person appear to say or do things they never did—have become a primary weapon of digital terror. Data reveals that between 90 and 95 percent of all deepfakes found online consist of non-consensual sexualized images of women. This is not a “glitch” in the system; it is a deliberate use of technology to strip women of their bodily autonomy and reputation. Furthermore, the rise of AI-generated child sexual abuse material is horrifying, with verified instances seeing a nearly 380 percent increase between 2023 and 2024. For adolescents and young girls, the digital world has become a minefield of cyberbullying, grooming, and “sextortion,” often perpetrated under the cloak of online anonymity.
One of the most insidious aspects of digital violence is its borderless nature. It permeates every facet of life, crossing from the digital screen into the physical home, the workplace, the classroom, and even into humanitarian refugee camps. In crisis-affected regions, technology-facilitated violence adds a layer of trauma to already vulnerable populations. Because abusers can hide behind pseudonyms and encrypted platforms, they often act with total impunity. However, the harm they inflict is undeniably real. The psychological, social, and economic damage caused by online attacks often escalates into physical stalking, sexual assault, and in the most extreme cases, femicide. The “online” and “offline” worlds are no longer separate; they are a continuous loop of potential harm.
For women in public life, the digital space has become a professional hazard. Journalists, politicians, human rights defenders, and activists are targeted with coordinated “pile-ons” designed to drive them out of the public square. When a female journalist is hounded off a social media platform or a female politician is subjected to a barrage of gendered slurs and threats, it is not just an individual attack—it is an attack on democracy itself. This digital silencing deters women from seeking leadership roles, participating in peace processes, or engaging in political decision-making. The message sent to the next generation of girls is clear: if you speak up, you will be targeted.
This violence does not strike all women equally. Those living at the intersections of multiple forms of discrimination face the most intense and frequent attacks. Women of color, women with disabilities, rural women, and members of the LGBTQ+ community are disproportionately targeted by digital predators. These groups are also at a higher risk of digital economic exploitation, where their personal data is harvested or their online presence is sabotaged to cause financial ruin. The lack of intersectional safeguards in digital governance means that these women are often left with nowhere to turn when the abuse begins.
The rise of the “manosphere”—an umbrella term for various online communities that promote misogyny and opposition to feminism—is a primary driver of this cultural regression. These ecosystems glorify the subjugation of women and provide a breeding ground for harmful gender norms. By targeting young men and boys with content that devalues equality, these spaces radicalize a new generation into viewing violence against women as acceptable or even heroic. Addressing this requires more than just content moderation; it requires a concerted effort to engage men and boys as allies. Long-term change depends on challenging these harmful behaviors at their source and promoting a culture of digital respect and accountability.
Despite the escalating danger, the global legal response has been unacceptably slow. Structural inequalities and chronic underfunding of gender-based violence prevention have left many women unprotected. Currently, fewer than half of the countries in the world have specific laws on the books to address online abuse. In jurisdictions where such laws do exist, enforcement is often hampered by a lack of technical expertise among law enforcement and a judicial system that fails to recognize the gravity of digital harm. Furthermore, the rapid development of AI has outpaced regulation, leaving a vacuum where human rights principles should be guiding digital governance.
There is, however, a roadmap for change. Feminist advocacy and women-led organizations have been the vanguard of this fight, successfully pushing for the recognition of digital violence as a fundamental violation of human rights. Their efforts have prompted 117 countries to adopt targeted measures to combat technology-facilitated abuse. These normative advances are critical, but they must be backed by resources and political will.
Technology companies, as the architects of these digital spaces, bear a profound responsibility. For too long, the industry has prioritized growth and engagement over user safety. We must move toward a “safety by design” model, where ethical considerations are integrated into the initial development of any new technology. This includes creating robust, transparent reporting mechanisms, ensuring that harmful content is swiftly removed, and holding anonymous abusers accountable. Digital platforms must be redesigned to protect their most vulnerable users rather than exposing them to predators for the sake of profit.
In alignment with the United Nations Secretary-General’s UNiTE campaign, there is an urgent call for a multi-sectoral approach. Governments must close the legislative gaps by enacting and enforcing laws that criminalize digital violence while protecting freedom of expression. They must also invest in training for police and legal professionals to ensure that victims are treated with dignity and that perpetrators face real-world consequences. Civil society must continue to monitor these spaces and provide support services for survivors, while educational institutions must integrate digital literacy and consent into their curricula.
The time for complacency has passed. The digital world should be a space for empowerment, education, and connection—not a tool for terror. We must unite to reclaim these spaces for equality, freedom, and justice. Ending digital violence against all women and girls is not just a “women’s issue”; it is a requirement for a functional, democratic, and civilized global society. Every click, every post, and every line of code must be viewed through the lens of human rights. Only by standing together can we ensure that the digital future is safe for everyone, everywhere.
