What is technology-facilitated violence against women and girls? Technology-facilitated violence against women and girls refers to any act that is committed, assisted, aggravated, or amplified by the use of information communication technologies or other digital tools, that results in or is likely to result in physical, sexual, psychological, social, political, or economic harm, or other infringements of rights and freedoms. The digital revolution has both exacerbated existing forms of gender-based violence (such as sexual harassment, stalking, hate speech, misinformation, defamation, and impersonation) and created new forms of abuse (such as hacking, astroturfing, video and image-based abuse including deepfakes, doxing, cyberbullying, and online grooming among others). Common forms of digital abuse Sexual harassment and stalking are the most commonly reported forms of technology-facilitated violence experienced by women and girls. Image-based abuse (sharing intimate photos without consent), unwanted messages, social media posts, and phone calls are the most frequently used tactics for sexual harassment. Women may be harassed on digital platforms in comment sections, bombarded with explicit messages, and tracked through GPS and location-based apps, sparking a digital nightmare that often spills into their offline lives. Other forms of abuse that women and girls face include cyberbullying, hate speech, sexual exploitation, defamation, intimate image-sharing, sextortion, revenge porn. The tools and platforms perpetrators use to inflict harm on women and girls range from smartphones, computers, chatrooms, social networking sites, online gaming sites, GPS trackers, and video streaming platforms. Who is most at risk of digital abuse While all women and girls may experience digital abuse, online violence, or technology-facilitated gender-based violence, some groups are at greater risk. Young women and girls: Given that girls and young women are more likely to use technology for learning, accessing information and connecting to peers, they also face increased exposure to online violence. One global study found that 58 per cent of girls and young women have experienced some form of online harassment. Women who face multiple forms of discrimination: Women with disabilities, indigenous women, migrant women, and LGBTIQ+ people all face higher risks of digital violence. Women in political and public life: Human rights defenders, activists, journalists and lawmakers face increased rates of violence both online and offline too. A UNESCO study found that 73 percent of women journalists experienced online violence in the course of their work. The Inter-Parliamentary Union found that 1 in 3 women parliamentarians in Asia Pacific had experienced online attacks. How can we stop digital abuse Empower women and girls to participate and lead in the technology sector, to inform the design and use of safe digital tools and spaces free of violence. Enhance cooperation between governments, the technology sector, women’s rights organizations, and civil society to strengthen policies to protect women and prevent violence from happening in the first place. Address data gaps to improve understanding of the causes of such violence, the profiles of perpetrators, and to inform prevention and response efforts. Develop and implement laws and regulations with the input from survivors and women’s organizations. Hold the tech industry accountable by establishing transparency and accountability standards on digital violence and the use of data across digital platforms. Integrate digital citizenship and ethical use of digital tools into school curricula to foster a culture of respect and empathy both online and in real life. Sensitize young people—especially young men and boys—caregivers, and educators about ethical and responsible online behaviour. Transform harmful social norms by promoting positive masculinities and challenging harmful and misogynistic narratives including through harnessing technology and AI. Ensure that public and private sector entities prioritize the prevention and elimination of digital violence, through human rights-based design approaches, safety by design, and adequate investments. Source : UN Women