According to Forbes, the United Nations is focusing its 2025 International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on digital violence against women and girls. The data shows that globally, almost one in three women experiences physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, and digital abuse is becoming increasingly prevalent. Shockingly, fewer than 40% of countries have laws protecting women from cyber harassment or cyber stalking, leaving 1.8 billion women and girls without legal protection. The UN specifically calls out threats including non-consensual sharing of intimate images, cyberbullying, AI-generated deepfakes, doxxing, and online stalking. These digital attacks frequently escalate into offline violence, including physical abuse and even femicide. The 2025 UNiTE campaign aims to mobilize global action against this growing threat.
The virtual is very real
Here’s the thing that often gets lost in discussions about online abuse: digital violence isn’t some separate category from “real” violence. The UN makes this crystal clear – these online attacks frequently lead to offline consequences. We’re talking about women being coerced, physically abused, or even killed because of digital harassment. And the perpetrators aren’t just random trolls – they’re using increasingly sophisticated tools like AI-generated deepfakes and digitally manipulated content. Basically, technology has become a weapon, and women are the primary targets.
The targets aren’t random
Look, the data shows this isn’t evenly distributed. Women with public visibility get hit hardest – activists, journalists, politicians, human rights defenders. Think about what that means for democracy and free speech. When women in politics face coordinated online attacks, they’re being silenced. When journalists get doxxed and threatened, important stories don’t get told. This isn’t just about individual harm – it’s about systematically shutting down women’s voices in public life. And young women? They’re growing up in this environment, which fundamentally shapes their participation in digital spaces.
Perfect storm of factors
So why is this escalating now? The UN points to several converging factors that create a perfect storm. Weak tech regulation means platforms aren’t adequately held accountable. Many countries don’t even legally recognize digital violence as a crime. Then there’s the anonymity that lets perpetrators operate with impunity. But here’s what really worries me: AI is creating entirely new forms of abuse that existing laws and platforms can’t handle. Deepfake pornography? That didn’t exist a few years ago. Now it’s becoming commonplace. And movements opposing gender equality are weaponizing these tools more effectively than ever.
Solutions require everyone
The UN’s recommendations are comprehensive because the problem requires multiple approaches. Governments need to create and enforce laws – we’re talking about criminalizing the production and sharing of manipulated explicit content. Tech companies? They need to step up with better content moderation and actually enforce their policies. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: we all play a role in this ecosystem. Every time we share something without verifying it, every time we stay silent when we see harassment – we’re part of the problem. The UN’s campaign materials emphasize that this starts with recognizing that virtual abuse has real impact. When nearly half the world’s women lack legal protection, we can’t afford to treat this as someone else’s problem.
