In a landmark resolution passed at the close of 2024, the United Nations declared 2025 the International Year for the Elimination of Digital Violence Against Women and Girls. This initiative marks a critical step in recognizing and addressing the growing threats women face in digital environments – from cyberstalking and image-based abuse to coordinated online harassment, doxxing, and algorithmic discrimination.

As the digital landscape becomes more integral to daily life, it has also become a terrain of gendered harm. With this declaration, the UN calls on governments, tech companies, civil society, and legal institutions to take tangible action. But what does this actually mean in practice? Below is an overview of the types of digital violence women experience and how different countries are responding to the UN’s call.

What Is Digital Violence Against Women?

Digital or technology-facilitated violence encompasses any act of gender-based harm that is carried out, amplified, or facilitated through digital means. It includes:

• Cyberstalking
• Online harassment and threats
• Non-consensual sharing of intimate images (so-called “revenge porn”)
• Doxxing (publishing private data online)
• Impersonation and identity theft
• Deepfake pornography
• Algorithmic bias and discrimination in automated decision-making systems

These behaviors have real-world consequences – from psychological trauma to job loss and physical danger. The normalization of such violence online disproportionately silences women and marginalized groups, limiting their freedom of expression and participation in public life.

The UN’s 2025 Action Framework

The UN’s declaration outlines a multi-pillar strategy that includes:

• Encouraging member states to pass or strengthen legislation addressing online gender-based violence
• Pushing for transparency and accountability in technology companies, especially social media platforms
• Promoting public awareness and education campaigns globally
• Investing in survivor support services, including digital hotlines and legal aid
• Advancing global data collection standards to measure the scope of the issue

The UN also announced the formation of a Global Task Force on Digital Gender Justice, including legal experts, human rights advocates, and tech professionals, to guide implementation throughout 2025.

How Countries Are Responding

Governments around the world are starting to take action, though approaches vary widely depending on legal culture, digital infrastructure, and civil society pressure.

Canada: Strengthening Legal Tools

In early 2025, Canada introduced a bill that criminalizes deepfake pornography and expands the definition of harassment to include repeated harmful behavior across multiple digital platforms. The legislation also mandates takedown requests to be honored by platforms within 24 hours.

France: Online Harassment Tribunals

France continues to build on its 2019 anti-cyberharassment laws by launching pilot digital harassment courts, allowing victims to receive quicker rulings and digital restraining orders. The 2025 plan also includes funding for digital literacy programs in public schools, with a focus on consent and privacy rights.

Kenya: Digital Gender Violence Reporting App

The Kenyan government, in collaboration with local NGOs, launched Uwazi, a mobile app that allows women to report online violence anonymously and receive legal guidance and psychological support. The app was developed with funding from the UN Women’s Innovation Fund and is being adopted in neighboring East African countries.

Germany: Holding Platforms Accountable

Germany’s 2025 amendment to the Network Enforcement Act (NetzDG) now requires platforms to report abuse statistics disaggregated by gender, and to publicly disclose moderation practices. Fines for failure to remove hate speech within 24 hours have been increased, and gender-based attacks are classified as aggravated offenses.

Brazil: Influencer Code of Conduct

Brazil introduced a voluntary but widely adopted influencer code, aimed at preventing gendered abuse, hate speech, and the spread of disinformation targeting women. Platforms that promote accounts violating the code risk penalties under the newly revised digital platform accountability act.

The Role of Technology Companies

In response to UN pressure, several major technology companies have pledged to take stronger action.

• Meta announced improvements to its image-matching technology to detect non-consensual image sharing and introduced stricter penalties for repeat offenders.
• TikTok began piloting AI-based moderation tools that detect misogynistic language patterns in real time.
• X (formerly Twitter) launched its 2025 Safety Council, including women’s rights groups and researchers. However, critics argue enforcement remains inconsistent.

Still, advocates warn that self-regulation is not enough. Tech companies must be legally required to protect users, especially when profit incentives clash with safety.

Challenges and Gaps

Despite progress, several barriers remain:

• Lack of consistent legal definitions for digital violence across jurisdictions
• Limited access to justice for marginalized women, especially in rural or low-income areas
• Insufficient training for law enforcement and judges on the nature of digital harm
• Underreporting due to stigma or distrust in legal systems

Many countries still treat online abuse as “less serious” than physical violence, despite growing evidence of its long-term harm.

Why This Matters: Human Rights in the Digital Age

The UN’s 2025 initiative sends a strong message: digital spaces must be governed by the same human rights principles as offline life. Ensuring women’s safety and dignity online is not a matter of optional regulation – it’s a requirement for democratic participation, public health, and gender justice.

As more aspects of education, employment, activism, and social life move online, the need to build inclusive and respectful digital environments becomes urgent. This includes not only punishing perpetrators but also empowering women to reclaim digital spaces through access to tools, support, and justice.

Conclusion

Declaring 2025 the Year to Combat Digital Violence Against Women is a critical step in bridging the policy gap between technology and gender justice. While progress varies by country, a global consensus is emerging: online harm is real harm.

Through legislation, innovation, and collective accountability, the international community now has both the opportunity – and the responsibility – to make digital environments safer, more equitable, and more humane for all.

The fight for women’s rights is no longer confined to the courtroom or the workplace. It is being waged in comment sections, DMs, and algorithmic systems – and in 2025, the world is finally paying attention.