Digital Violence: A Growing Crisis That Affects Half the World’s Women
The digital era promised connection, empowerment, and opportunity for all. Instead, millions of women and girls face escalating online abuse that crosses borders, languages, and platforms. A landmark reminder from UN Women during the 16 Days of Activism highlights a stark reality: nearly half of the world’s women and girls lack legal protection against digital violence. This legal gap leaves victims vulnerable to harassment, threats, doxxing, revenge porn, and other forms of online harm that have real-world consequences.
Why Legal Protections Lag Behind Technology
Technology evolves at breakneck speed, but laws and enforcement mechanisms often lag behind new tactics used by abusers. Digital violence is not a niche problem; it infiltrates education, work, social life, and public discourse. Women and girls in all countries—including those with strong legal frameworks—still encounter barriers to justice, from insufficient reporting channels to biases in investigations. The result is a chilling effect: many stay silent, delaying support and protection that could prevent further harm.
Common Forms of Digital Violence
Online threats, sexual harassment, and deeply personal abuse are among the most pervasive challenges. Image-based abuse, known as “revenge porn,” has surged in many regions, affecting victims’ safety and mental health. Cyberstalking, doxxing, and coordinated harassment campaigns also target women in public life, academia, and professional spaces. The impact extends beyond the screen, often catalyzing real-world violence and discrimination.
The 16 Days of Activism: A Global Call to Action
During the UN Women-led 16 Days of Activism, advocates, policymakers, and communities rally to create a world where technology is a force for equality rather than harm. The campaign calls for comprehensive policies, robust enforcement, and survivor-centered support services. It also emphasizes education—digital literacy and bystander intervention—to reduce tolerance for abuse and empower people to act against digital violence.
What Needs to Change
To close the protection gap, several coordinated steps are essential:
- Enforceable laws: Clear, victims-first protections that criminalize digital violence, with accessible reporting mechanisms and timely investigations.
- Platform accountability: Online platforms must adopt transparent policies, rapid removal of abuse, and accountability for repeat offenders.
- Support services: Accessible reporting channels, counseling, legal aid, and safe housing options for survivors, all designed with gender sensitivity.
- Prevention and education: Digital literacy programs, bystander training, and curricula that address online safety and consent from a young age.
- Data and research: Regular, disaggregated data to track trends, evaluate interventions, and inform policy decisions.
Importantly, policy responses must be intersectional. Women and girls from marginalized communities—rural residents, refugees, disabled individuals, and those in minority groups—often face compounded risks and barriers to redress.
What You Can Do This 16 Days and Beyond
Every actor—governments, tech companies, civil society, and individuals—has a role. Support the push for stronger laws, demand accountability from platforms, and stand with survivors. Practical steps include reporting abuse, educating others about digital safety, and advocating for survivor-centric legal processes. If you’re a planner or community leader, host digital safety workshops, create safe reporting spaces, and collaborate with organizations that provide legal and psychological support.
Looking Forward: A World Where Technology Empowers All
The promise of the digital age is inclusion, not intimidation. The 16 Days of Activism resets the aim: protect women and girls online so technology becomes a catalyst for equality. When legal protections exist, when platforms are accountable, and when communities unite against online abuse, we move closer to a world where digital spaces uplift rather than oppress.
