The digital revolution was once heralded as the great equalizer, a borderless frontier where women and girls could find community, build businesses, and amplify their voices. However, for millions, that promise has curdled into a nightmare. As technology advances at a breakneck pace, it has birthed a new and virulent form of oppression: digital violence. Today, this crisis is spreading with alarming speed, fueled by the rise of sophisticated artificial intelligence, the shield of online anonymity, and a catastrophic failure of global legal systems to keep pace.
New data reveals a staggering protection gap that leaves nearly half of the world’s female population vulnerable. According to recent World Bank figures, fewer than 40 per cent of nations have enacted specific legislation to protect women from cyber harassment or cyberstalking. The result is a legal vacuum affecting 44 per cent of women and girls globally—approximately 1.8 billion people—who currently have no legal recourse when they are targeted by digital predators. This lack of protection is not merely a technical oversight; it is a fundamental human rights failure that allows perpetrators to act with total impunity while their victims suffer in silence.
Digital violence is no longer limited to mean-spirited comments or “trolling.” It has evolved into a weaponized arsenal of abuse that includes doxing, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, cyberstalking, and the increasingly prevalent use of deepfakes. These tools are being used systematically to silence, shame, and intimidate women, particularly those who occupy public roles. The weaponization of disinformation is frequently gendered, designed to ruin reputations and drive women out of the digital “town square.”
The impact is particularly acute for women in leadership positions. Female politicians, business leaders, and activists are frequently targeted with coordinated harassment campaigns and AI-generated deepfakes intended to undermine their professional credibility and personal dignity. The goal of these attacks is often “deplatforming”—forcing women to retreat from public life altogether to escape the onslaught. Journalism, too, has become a high-risk profession for women. Global reports indicate that one in four women journalists has faced online threats of physical violence, including death threats. When the digital world becomes a site of constant trauma, the democratic participation of women is directly threatened.
“What begins online doesn’t stay online,” warns UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous. “Digital abuse spills into real life, spreading fear, silencing voices, and—in the worst cases—leading to physical violence and femicide. Laws must evolve with technology to ensure that justice protects women both online and offline. Weak legal protections leave millions of women and girls vulnerable, while perpetrators act with impunity. This is unacceptable.”
The psychological toll of this violence is profound, but the physical consequences are equally real. There is a documented “pipeline” from digital harassment to offline stalking and physical assault. When a woman’s home address is leaked via doxing or her movements are tracked via spyware, the barrier between the virtual and the physical evaporates. Despite this, reporting rates remain abysmally low. Many survivors feel that the justice system is ill-equipped to handle digital evidence, or they fear that reporting the abuse will only invite further retaliation. Furthermore, major tech platforms—the very infrastructure where this abuse occurs—frequently face little to no accountability for the harms facilitated by their algorithms.
The emergence of AI-powered abuse has added a layer of complexity that traditional laws struggle to address. Deepfake technology now allows for the creation of non-consensual pornographic imagery with terrifying realism, often using nothing more than a single social media profile picture. Because these images can be generated and distributed across borders in seconds, the jurisdictional challenges for law enforcement are immense.
However, amidst this digital dark age, a movement for reform is beginning to take root. Several countries have pioneered legislative frameworks that offer a blueprint for the rest of the world. In the United Kingdom, the Online Safety Act represents a significant attempt to hold platforms responsible for the content they host. In Mexico, the “Ley Olimpia” (Olympia’s Law)—named after activist Olimpia Coral Melo, who fought for justice after her intimate images were shared without her consent—has set a powerful precedent for criminalizing digital sexual violence. Australia’s Online Safety Act and the European Union’s Digital Safety Act are also landmark efforts to create a safer internet through rigorous regulation and corporate accountability.
As of 2025, approximately 117 countries have reported some level of effort to address digital violence. Yet, these efforts remain fragmented. Because the internet is transnational, a patchwork of local laws is insufficient. A harasser in one country can target a victim in another with little fear of extradition or prosecution. This is why UN Women is calling for a unified, global approach to closing these legal loopholes.
The call for action is the centerpiece of this year’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. This global campaign, which runs annually from November 25 (the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to December 10 (Human Rights Day), is focusing its 2025 efforts squarely on the digital frontier. Led by the UNiTE to End Violence against Women initiative, the campaign is demanding that governments, tech companies, and civil society treat digital violence with the same urgency as physical violence.
To bridge the gap between policy and practice, UN Women has introduced two critical new tools designed to empower those on the front lines of justice. The first is a *Supplement to the Handbook for Legislation on Violence against Women*, specifically focusing on technology-facilitated violence. This guide provides policymakers with the language and frameworks needed to draft laws that are robust enough to withstand the rapid evolution of tech. The second tool is the *Guide for Police on Addressing Technology-Facilitated Violence*. This resource is vital, as many police forces currently lack the training or the mandate to investigate digital crimes effectively. By providing practical guidance on evidence collection and survivor-centered response, the goal is to turn the tide against impunity.
The fight against digital violence is also a fight for resources. For decades, feminist movements have been the primary drivers of progress in women’s rights, yet these organizations are currently facing unprecedented challenges. Shrinking civic spaces and significant funding cuts are threatening the very groups that provide support to survivors and lobby for legislative change. Initiatives like the EU-funded “ACT to End Violence against Women and Girls” programme are becoming lifelines, supporting feminist advocacy and coalition-building in an increasingly hostile environment.
The 2025 UNiTE campaign is not just about highlighting the problem; it is a demand for a fundamental shift in how we value women’s safety in the modern age. It calls for sustained investment in digital literacy, so that women and girls can navigate the web safely, and for the development of “safety by design” principles within the tech industry. Tech giants must be held to a standard where profit does not take precedence over the human rights of their users.
Ultimately, the goal is a world where technology serves the cause of equality rather than becoming a tool for its destruction. Until every woman and girl can log on, speak out, and participate in the digital world without the fear of being hunted, shamed, or silenced, the promise of the internet will remain unfulfilled. True gender equality in the 21st century requires a digital space that is safe, inclusive, and governed by the rule of law. The 1.8 billion women currently left behind cannot wait any longer for the law to catch up to the reality of their lives. The message of this year’s activism is clear: there is no excuse for digital abuse, and the time for global accountability is now.
