By OSCE PA Special Representative on Gender Issues Hedy Fry (Canada)
25 November 2025
For 34 years, the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence campaign has been held from 25 November to 10 December . In 2008, the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General launched its “UNiTE to End Violence against Women” initiative to support this campaign. This year, as we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the theme of the campaign is digital violence against all women and girls.
Digital violence against women and girls, sometimes also called technology-facilitated gender-based violence, has been defined as “any act, that is committed, assisted, aggravated or amplified by the use of information and 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 freedom.”
As noted in a recent report from the UN Secretary-General, technology-facilitated gender-based violence takes multiple forms, including “sexual harassment, stalking, zoombombing, image - based abuse, trolling, doxing, misogynistic or gendered hate speech, misinformation and ‘astroturfing’ (the artificial impression of widespread support for an idea), among others.”
Although digital violence against women and girls is not a new phenomenon, it is becoming increasingly commonplace. Data from 2020 indicated that as many as 38% of women reported personal experience with online violence; 65% reported knowing other women who had been targeted online, from their personal or professional networks; and 85% reported witnessing online violence against other women.
Digital violence has no geographical boundaries and is not easily contained or curtailed. Moreover, there is a dangerous continuum between online and offline gender-based violence. All too often, violence that begins online moves into offline spaces, and vice versa.
We also know that digital violence against women and girls disproportionately affects women who are more publicly visible online, such as politicians, journalists, human rights defenders or activists. In my role as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly’s Special Representative on Gender Issues, I highlighted the rise of online attacks against women journalists and politicians in my 2021 report. More recently, in 2023, I participated in the “Countering Online Violence against Women” joint event organized by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) and the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM), during which the RFoM’s Guidelines for monitoring online violence against female journalists were launched.
Among the many drivers contributing to the rise in gender-based online violence are two that merit particular consideration.
First, we are witnessing the spread of anti-gender discourse and the development of what is sometimes called an online “manosphere”. The term manosphere describes a constellation of websites and online communities centred around traditionally “male” interests which often promote gender stereotypes and misogynistic attitudes . An increasing number of boys and young men regularly participates in these communities.
In my 2025 report on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in the OSCE Region, I highlighted that there has been a significant mobilization against gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights in recent years, taking the form of “anti-gender” movements. The UN is also taking note of this phenomena, with the UN Secretary-General remarking that, “Anti-rights actors are increasingly utilizing online platforms to propagate narratives that challenge gender equality and women’s rights, with tactics that include creating a hostile digital environment for women and girls marked by cyberbullying, harassment and threats of violence.”
A second issue of particular concern is the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), especially generative AI tools, and the ways in which it is being used to pose new threats to women and girls online. For example, AI tools are being used to create deepfake images or videos of women, to spread disinformation, or to harass women. The widespread availability of these tools and their virtually limitless output raises major concerns for women and girls online.
To address these concerns, it is imperative that governments and parliaments act urgently to regulate online spaces and artificial intelligence tools. In undertaking this work, it is important that they engage with technology companies, as they also have a crucial role to play in tackling this scourge. As well, while robust action is required, caution should be taken to ensure that new regulatory or policy measures are not used as a pretext to limit human rights, including freedom of expression.
During its 2025 Annual Session in Porto (Portugal), the OSCE PA adopted a resolution on Strengthening Gender Equality and Protecting Women. This resolution promotes “the adoption of legislative and technical measures to effectively combat online gender-based violence, including cyberstalking, revenge pornography and misogynistic hatred propagated through social media and digital platforms.” It is but one example of the important work that the OSCE PA does to promote gender equality and respond to evolving challenges.
For its part, the European Union (EU) adopted a directive in 2024 to combat violence against women and domestic violence, which requires all EU countries to criminalise non-consensual sharing of intimate images, cyber stalking, cyber harassment and cyber incitement to hatred or violence. Meanwhile, the Council of Europe formed a Committee of Experts on combating technology-facilitated violence against women and girls to develop recommendations on combatting online violence against women and girls.
Finally, it remains essential to raise awareness and to engage men on these issues. The recommendations prepared by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights on including men in building gender equality are particularly useful in this regard.
For more information on the work of the OSCE PA Special Representative on Gender Issues, please click here.
