Digital violence is intensifying worldwide
From orchestrated campaigns to undermine credibility to the spread of disinformation aimed at silencing women, digital violence against women is escalating. It targets leaders in business, politics, and journalism, and it expands beyond mere abuse to threaten livelihood, safety, and public presence. Despite growing awareness, legal protections lag behind the scale and sophistication of online threats, leaving many women unprotected in the digital arena.
Under-protected groups and widening gaps in law
Across many countries, existing laws address harassment in limited contexts or rely on outdated definitions of harm. Online abuse often slips through the cracks: it happens across platforms and borders, morphing quickly as new features and tactics emerge. Women leaders, who rely on a visible public profile for influence and impact, become prime targets for coordinated attacks, deepfakes, and gendered disinformation designed to push them offline.
The data is stark. One in four women journalists report online threats that affect their ability to do reporting, and countless others endure harassment that constrains their coverage choices. Women in leadership roles—whether in government, corporate boards, or nonprofit leadership—are pressured to retreat from public life or scale back visibility to avoid continued abuse. Legal systems often fail to hold perpetrators accountable quickly enough, and victims face a chilling choice between reporting online abuse and enduring ongoing harm.
What makes digital violence especially dangerous
Digital violence is not a purely online phenomenon; it spills into real-world consequences. Threats can jeopardize safety, marital and professional relationships, and career prospects. The creation and distribution of deepfakes and manipulated media can undermine trust, smear reputations, and destabilize democratic participation. When women are forced to step back from leadership, the broader economy loses diverse voices, and public policy can become less representative of half the population.
Gendered disinformation as a tactic
Disinformation campaigns often leverage gender biases to depict women leaders as untrustworthy or overemotional. This strategy is not only insulting; it is a calculated effort to discredit and demobilize women in public life. Combating this requires responses that are both technical and legal, combining platform policies with robust judicial remedies that recognize the unique harms faced by women in the public sphere.
What reforms are needed?
Modernizing legal frameworks is essential. Key reforms include:
– Clear definitions of online threats, harassment, and incitement that cover the full range of digital abuse, including memes, manipulated media, and coordinated campaigns.
– Proactive enforcement mechanisms that enable faster reporting, investigation, and redress for victims.
– Cross-border cooperation to address abuse that migrates across platforms and jurisdictions.
– Provisions that recognize reputational harm and safety risks as legitimate grounds for relief, including protective orders and civil remedies.
– Platform accountability, with transparent reporting, responsibility for user-generated content, and easy-to-access tools for reporting abuse.
– Education and awareness campaigns to reduce stigma and encourage reporting among women in leadership and journalism.
What individuals and institutions can do now
Organizations can adopt zero-tolerance policies for online abuse, provide safety resources for at-risk staff, and ensure leadership teams are resilient against digital violence. Media outlets and government bodies should invest in rapid response teams, ethical guidelines for dealing with disinformation, and mock drills that simulate online harassment scenarios to improve preparedness.
For journalists and women leaders, building networks of support is critical. Legal aid, mental health resources, and peer groups can help survivors navigate reporting and recovery. Civil society organizations and international bodies can advocate for harmonized standards that protect women online while preserving freedom of expression.
The path forward
As digital violence intensifies, the imperative to shield women from online harms grows stronger. It is not enough to react after abuse occurs; prevention, rapid redress, and robust enforcement must become the norm. By closing legal gaps, improving platform accountability, and fostering supportive communities, societies can safeguard women’s leadership and journalism—ensuring that digital spaces expand rather than diminish women’s public roles.
