UN Women Warns Digital Violence Against Women Surging, Urges Global Action

UN Women warns that these forms of abuse are not isolated; they form a continuum of violence linked to discrimination, misogyny, and harmful social norms.

The digital age promised connection, empowerment, and equal opportunity. Yet for millions of women and girls around the world, it has instead become a terrain of relentless abuse. According to new analysis highlighted by UN Women, technology-facilitated violence against women and girls (TF-VWG) is spreading faster than laws and protections can keep up, fueled by artificial intelligence (AI), anonymity, weak regulation, and the absence of cross-border accountability.

This escalating crisis affects every corner of the online world: social media, messaging apps, online gaming, professional platforms, digital marketplaces, and even AI-generated deepfake websites. No platform, no country, and no age group is immune.

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A Crisis in Numbers: Billions of Women Left Without Legal Protection

A disturbingly small share of global legal systems protect women from digital violence.

• Less than 40% of countries have laws against cyberstalking or cyber harassment.

• 44% of women and girls worldwide—1.8 billion people—live in countries with no legal protections at all.

• 1 in 4 women journalists report being threatened with physical violence online, including death threats.

• Women in leadership and politics face targeted deepfakes, coordinated harassment campaigns, and gendered disinformation intended to force them offline.

Digital violence now includes a broad range of abuses:

• Cyberstalking and online harassment

• Doxing (publishing private information)

• Non-consensual intimate image distribution

• Deepfake pornography

• Exploitation through generative AI

• Impersonation and identity theft

• Gendered hate speech and disinformation

• Threats that escalate into real-world violence

UN Women warns that these forms of abuse are not isolated; they form a continuum of violence linked to discrimination, misogyny, and harmful social norms.

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“What begins online doesn’t stay online.”

UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous issued a stark warning:

“What begins online doesn’t stay online. 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 urgency is reflected in the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign, which this year focuses on closing legal gaps and ensuring accountability across the digital ecosystem.

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Why Digital Violence Threatens Democracy and Equality

Technology-facilitated violence is not only a safety issue—it is a democratic one.

Impact on political participation:

Women in politics, public office, and activism face targeted disinformation and harassment strategies deliberately designed to drive them out of public life.

Impact on journalism and media freedom:

Women journalists are disproportionately targeted with online threats, compromising press freedom and limiting diverse representation in media.

Impact on economic security:

Digital violence forces many women to quit online work, avoid digital services, or decline leadership roles due to safety fears.

Impact on mental health and well-being:

Victims often face anxiety, depression, PTSD, withdrawal from education or employment, and isolation.

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AI Is Supercharging Digital Violence

Generative AI has dramatically escalated risks:

• Deepfake pornography is being created without consent, often targeting schoolgirls and women in public life.

• AI tools can generate realistic disinformation, voice clones, and fake images within minutes.

• Perpetrators can hide behind anonymity, evade national laws, and spread content globally.

Most victims discover deepfakes only after they spread widely—and have no legal recourse.

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Signs of Progress: Laws Are Beginning to Catch Up

Although efforts are fragmented, several countries are advancing legal protections:

• United Kingdom – Online Safety Act

• Mexico – Ley Olimpia, pioneering laws to criminalize non-consensual intimate content

• Australia – Online Safety Act, one of the strongest global digital safety frameworks

• European Union – Digital Services Act, increasing platform accountability

As of 2025, 117 countries reported new measures addressing digital violence—but expertise, enforcement, and cross-border coordination remain major gaps.

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UN Women Calls for Five Global Priority Actions

To combat worsening digital violence, UN Women is calling for coordinated action from governments, tech companies, civil society, and international partners.

1. Global cooperation on digital safety standards

Develop cross-border regulations ensuring platforms and AI tools meet ethical, safety, and transparency standards.

2. Support for survivors

Increase funding for women’s rights organizations that provide legal aid, psychosocial services, and emergency support.

3. Stronger laws and accountability

Adopt and enforce legislation that criminalizes technology-facilitated violence and punishes perpetrators.

4. Tech companies must step up

Platforms should:

• Hire more women in design, safety, and policy roles

• Remove harmful content rapidly

• Improve reporting mechanisms

• Introduce proactive safeguards and AI detection tools

5. Investments in prevention and culture change

Scale digital literacy programs, cyber safety training for girls, and initiatives that challenge toxic online behavior and masculinity norms.

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Feminist Movements Under Threat

Global feminist advocacy has been essential in putting digital violence on the international agenda. But:

• Civic space is shrinking

• Backlash against women’s rights is intensifying

• Funding for gender equality is declining globally

UN Women warns that without strong support, decades of progress could be reversed.

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New UN Women Tools to Strengthen Policy and Police Response

To assist policymakers and law enforcement, UN Women is launching two new resources during the 2025 16 Days campaign:

• Supplement to the Handbook for Legislation on Violence Against Women – focused on technology-facilitated violence

• Guide for Police on Addressing Technology-Facilitated Violence – complementing existing guidance on gender-responsive policing

These tools offer practical frameworks for prevention, investigation, survivor support, and cross-sector collaboration.

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The Path Forward: A Safe Digital World Is Essential for Equality

Until women and girls can participate fully and safely online, true gender equality will remain out of reach. Digital spaces must empower—not endanger—the next generation.

UN Women’s message is clear: Technology must serve equality, dignity, and human rights. The world cannot wait.