“The laws that do not protect women in reality are the same laws that fail to protect them online,” observes Afraa Al-Hariri, a prominent Yemeni lawyer, human rights defender, and the Country Director of the Peace Track Initiative. Her words serve as a sobering reminder that for women in Yemen, the digital frontier is not a detached virtual space but a direct extension of a physical world where gender-based violence remains a pervasive threat. As internet penetration grows across the Arab States, so too does the prevalence of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), creating a new and dangerous battlefield for women striving for equality, professional success, and basic personal safety.
A recent brief on digital violence across the Arab States, published by UN Women, underscores the gravity of this crisis. The findings are stark: 49 percent of women who use the internet in the region reported that they do not feel safe from online harassment. Perhaps more alarming is the bridge between the virtual and the physical; nearly half of the women who experienced online violence reported that the abuse eventually manifested in physical spaces. In Yemen, a country already grappling with the complexities of prolonged conflict and deep-seated social conservatism, these statistics translate into ruined reputations, shattered livelihoods, and, in the most extreme cases, loss of life.
The mechanism of this abuse is often rooted in the weaponization of social norms. In Yemeni society, where traditional concepts of "honor" and "shame" are frequently used to police women’s behavior, the digital world offers perpetrators a potent set of tools for coercion. According to Al-Hariri, the most common and damaging form of this violence involves the misappropriation of a woman’s image. Perpetrators often obtain photos—whether real or digitally manipulated—and use them as leverage for blackmail, defamation, and harassment. The threat of "exposure" is often enough to silence a victim, as the mere suggestion of impropriety can have devastating social consequences.
This culture of silence is the perpetrator’s greatest ally. Because social stigma often treats the woman as the source of "shame" rather than the victim of a crime, many survivors are hesitant to seek help. Al-Hariri notes that many women are coerced into paying exorbitant sums of money to their blackmailers, funds they often cannot afford, simply to prevent a photo from being shared. The fear of bringing "dishonor" to their families prevents them from filing formal complaints, effectively granting criminals a shield of invisibility. “The social norms that treat women as ‘shameful’ in real life are the same norms used against them online,” Al-Hariri explains. This dynamic ensures that while the technology is modern, the underlying oppression remains rooted in ancient prejudices.
The human cost of this digital warfare is illustrated through the harrowing stories of those who have survived it—and those who did not. For Yemeni women who dare to enter the public sphere, the digital world is a minefield. One young Yemeni peacebuilder recounted how social media was used to dismantle her credibility. She was falsely accused of being a spy for foreign interests, a charge that carries immense weight and danger in a conflict zone. The resulting backlash was so severe that she felt compelled to stop posting about her work entirely, effectively silencing a vital voice for peace.
The economic impact is equally devastating. In the city of Aden, a woman who owned a successful beauty salon saw her life’s work vanish in a matter of weeks. An anonymous perpetrator created fake online profiles, posting manipulated photos of her to tarnish her reputation. As the images circulated, her business collapsed under the weight of social ostracization. Her friends and social support networks evaporated, leaving her not only financially ruined but profoundly isolated.
In its most tragic forms, online violence in Yemen is a precursor to physical homicide or suicide. In one chilling case, a woman sent her mobile phone to a technician for repairs. The technician stole personal photos from the device, including images of her without her veil. After he uploaded these private photos to social media, the victim’s husband discovered them and, in a misguided attempt to "restore honor," killed his wife. While the husband faced charges for the murder, the lack of specific cybercrime legislation meant there was no legal framework to prosecute the technician whose theft and digital distribution of the photos instigated the tragedy. In another instance in Al Hudaydah, a young girl, trapped between the relentless pressure of digital extortion and ongoing domestic abuse, took her own life.
“It is rare to find a woman activist who has not been subjected to some form of abuse, insult, or defamation online,” says Al-Hariri, who has herself been a target of such campaigns. Recognizing the legal vacuum that allowed these crimes to flourish, Al-Hariri and other women leaders began a concerted effort several years ago to demand institutional change. Their advocacy led to a landmark collaboration with Yemen’s Office of the Attorney General, resulting in the establishment of a dedicated Cybercrime Unit.
This unit, supported by women’s coalitions and technical experts, was designed to provide a specialized response to digital abuse. Since its inception, it has recorded thousands of official complaints regarding digital blackmail and harassment. However, experts acknowledge that these numbers are merely the tip of the iceberg. Chronic underreporting, driven by the aforementioned social stigma, means the true scale of the problem is likely much larger.
To bridge this gap, UN Women has partnered with Yemen’s Ministry of Justice to strengthen the capacity of the entire legal system. This includes the "16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence" campaign, which aims to bring the issue of technology-facilitated violence into the light. A recent cybercrime workshop, facilitated by Al-Hariri for law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges, focused on the technical and psychological aspects of digital blackmail. The goal is to move beyond mere documentation and toward proactive prosecution, using advanced tools to track perpetrators and bring them to justice.
The impact of such training is already being felt among officials. Fatima Yaslam, the Director of the Working Women’s Development Department in Yemen’s Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, participated in the workshop and highlighted the need for clearer regulations. “The course helped us recognize our strengths, as well as our weaknesses,” she said. “Now we are moving into the serious part: How to fight this phenomenon and raise awareness about it in society and within the justice system.”
Judge Anmar Abdullah Saeed, another participant, emphasized the importance of community outreach. He acknowledged that the "closed" nature of Yemeni society makes reporting difficult, but argued that the responsibility lies with the justice system to prove it can protect those who come forward. “It’s our responsibility to teach the community how to deal with these digital threats,” he noted, stressing that legal literacy is a prerequisite for safety.
The fight for a safer digital Yemen is an ongoing struggle, supported by organizations like the For All Foundation for Development and the Yemen Women National Committee. For survivors, a new path toward justice is opening; the Attorney General’s Office now allows for reports to be filed through its official website, providing a more discreet avenue for those who fear the public eye.
As the global "16 Days of Activism" campaign continues under the banner of #NoExcuse for online abuse, the focus remains on the fundamental right of women and girls to occupy digital spaces without fear. Online platforms should be engines of empowerment, education, and connection, not tools of control. By strengthening laws, training the judiciary, and dismantling the social stigma that protects abusers, Yemeni women are not just fighting back against individual trolls or blackmailers—they are rewriting the rules of the digital age to ensure that "safety" is a reality, both on and off the screen. Al-Hariri’s mission is clear: to ensure that the justice system finally catches up with the technology used to harm, making certain that the digital world is no longer a safe haven for those who seek to silence women.
