Translated with AI
Digital technologies have the power to empower, but for millions of women and girls, online spaces have become a source of fear, the UN press service reports.
According to UN Women, artificial intelligence, online anonymity, and inadequate accountability mechanisms are fueling the rise of online violence. Globally, 1.8 billion women and girls live without legal protection from online harassment and other forms of technology-enabled violence. In response, the annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign kicks off on November 25.
Less than 40 percent of countries worldwide have passed laws that directly regulate online harassment and cyberbullying, leaving many perpetrators unpunished and victims without access to justice.
The internet continues to be both a source of opportunity and a risk for women. Journalists, activists, and public figures face the spread of gender-motivated disinformation, deepfake attacks, and coordinated intimidation campaigns aimed at ousting them from the public sphere. One in four female journalists reports receiving death threats online.
"What starts online doesn't stay online. Digital violence spills over into real life, generating fear, silencing women, and, in the worst cases, leading to physical violence and femicide," said UN Women Executive Director Sima Bacchus. She emphasized the need to keep pace with technological advances in legislation so that millions of women and girls are not left without protection.
The development of artificial intelligence has dramatically expanded the scale of digital violence. It is becoming more personalized and harder to detect. According to a global survey, 38 percent of women have experienced online violence, and 85 percent have witnessed it.
Deepfakes—photorealistic images and videos generated by neural networks—pose a particular threat. Up to 95 percent of all deepfakes are pornographic, created without the consent of the subjects, and 99 percent of the victims are women. Many deepfake creation tools are developed exclusively by men, highlighting the gendered nature of abuse.
Activist Laura Bates noted that the consequences of such attacks cannot be underestimated. "The 'online-offline' divide is an illusion," she emphasized. The spread of deepfakes could lead to job losses, child custody restrictions, and girls dropping out of school due to bullying.
As of 2025, 117 countries are taking steps to combat digital violence, but progress remains fragmented and lags behind technological developments. Experts emphasize the need for global cooperation and tailored approaches to regulating artificial intelligence.
UN Women recommends:
attract more women to technology development;
create secure digital platforms;
promptly remove malicious content;
take into account the principles of responsibility and safety when creating AI products;
invest in digital literacy;
implement programs to change cultural norms, including working with toxic online communities.
Meanwhile, feminist movements that respond quickly to cases of digital violence are facing a reduction in civic space and funding.
“Technology can be a force for equality – but only if we design it that way,” emphasized Sima Bacchus.
