Online violence against women is on the rise around the world. Artificial intelligence is fueling digital violence against women Women
Digital technology can be a tool for empowerment. But today, for millions of women and girls, the online space has become a source of fear.
Artificial intelligence, online anonymity and weak accountability mechanisms are fueling a surge in online violence, according to UN Women. Globally, 1.8 billion women and girls live without legal protection from online harassment and other forms of technology-based violence. Against this backdrop, the annual campaign “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence” kicks off on November 25th.
Less than 40 percent of the world’s countries 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 zone for women women journalists, activists and public figures face the spread of gender-biased disinformation, deepfake attacks and coordinated intimidation campaigns aimed at ousting them from the public space.
One in four female journalists reports online death threats.
“What starts online doesn’t stay online. Digital violence spills over into real life, creating fear, silencing [women] and in the worst cases, leading to physical violence and femicide,” said UN Women Executive Director Seema Bacchus.
She stressed that laws must evolve with technology: “It is unacceptable that weak legal mechanisms continue to leave millions of women and girls unprotected while perpetrators act with impunity.”
New wave digital attacks
The development of AI has dramatically expanded the scope of digital violence. It is becoming more personal and increasingly difficult to detect. According to one global survey, 38 percent of women have experienced online violence, and 85 percent – became witnesses of it.
Deepfakes, that is, photorealistic images and videos created by a neural network, pose a particular threat. Up to 95 percent of all deepfakes are pornographic, created without the consent of the person they depict, and 99 percent of victims are women. do not involve images of male subjects, which emphasizes the gendered nature of the abuse.
Activist Laura Bates warns that the impact of such attacks cannot be underestimated. “The online-offline division is an illusion,” she noted. Thus, the spread of deepfakes can lead to job loss, restrictions in custody of children and departure of girls from school due to bullying. new legal regulations.
As of 2025, 117 countries report steps to combat digital violence, but progress remains fragmented and lags behind the pace of technological development. Experts stress the need for global cooperation and tailored approaches to AI regulation.
UN Women stresses that measures should include:
- involving more women in development technologies;
- creation of safe digital platforms;
- prompt removal of harmful content;
- taking into account the principles of responsibility and safety in creating AI products;
- investing in digital literacy;
- programs to change cultural norms, including working with toxic online communities such as “manosphere”.
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At the same time, feminist Movements that respond fastest to digital violence face shrinking civil space and funding.
“Technology can be a force for equality, – but only if we design it that way,” Sima emphasized. Bacchus.