UN Warns Online Violence Against Women Rises Sharply

Illustration. (Unsplash/NEONBRAND)

JAKARTA - A UN Women report released on Tuesday said online violence against women in public life had increased sharply, with seven out of 10 women becoming human rights defenders, activists and journalists reporting they had experienced digital harassment.

The report, which was compiled with the European Commission and research partners, found 41 percent of women surveyed had faced danger in the real world linked to online attacks.

"These figures emphasize that digital violence is not virtual, this is real violence with consequences in the real world," said UN Women's Director of Policy, Program and Inter-Government Division Sarah waste, as reported by Anadolu (10/12).

She further said women speaking for human rights were "targeted harassment designed to embarrass, silence, and push them out of public debate," adding such attacks were increasingly "finite at the door of a woman's house."

For journalists, this increase is very worrying. In the global UNESCO survey of 2020, 20 percent attributed attacks in the real world to online harassment; In the latest survey in 2025, this figure has more than doubled to 42 percent.

"This data shows that in the era of abuse triggered by AI (artificial intelligence) and increasing authoritarianism, online violence against women in public spaces is increasing," said Julie Posetti, lead researcher.

He called the documented trend "dangerous and potentially deadly."

The report also noted that nearly one of the four respondents experienced AI-assisted violence, including deepfake imagery, with the highest exposure among writers and public communicators.

UN Women said the findings highlighted the urgent need for stronger laws, platform accountability, and better protection systems.