Online violence against women in public life has intensified significantly, with seven in 10 women human rights defenders, activists and journalists reporting having experienced digital abuse, according to a UN Women report released on Tuesday.
The report, which was produced in collaboration with the European Commission and research partners, found that 41% of women surveyed have faced offline harm linked to online attacks.
"These figures confirm that digital violence is not virtual – it is real violence with real-world consequences," said Sarah Hendricks, director of policy, programs and the intergovernmental division at UN Women.
She said that women who speak out for human rights “are being targeted by abuse designed to shame, silence and remove them from public debate”, adding that such attacks increasingly “end up at women’s doorsteps”.
For journalists, the increase is particularly alarming. In UNESCO's 2020 global survey, 20% linked offline attacks to online abuse; in the new 2025 survey, that percentage more than doubled to 42%.
“These data show that in an era of AI-driven abuse and rising authoritarianism, online violence against women in the public sphere is on the rise,” said Julie Posetti, the lead researcher. She called the documented trend “dangerous and potentially deadly.”
The report also noted that almost one in four respondents have experienced AI-assisted violence, including fake images, with the highest exposure among writers and public communicators.
UN Women said the findings highlight the urgent need for stronger laws, platform accountability and better protection systems.
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