Ms. Tesfai recounted her experience of digital stalking during a UN event in New York commemorating the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. What began as anonymous online interactions escalated into physical stalking, with the perpetrator sending messages describing what she was wearing. Despite reporting the threats to the police, she was told there was no legal recourse since the abuse was digital and the perpetrator’s identity was unknown, highlighting the gaps in protections against online violence.
A new report by UN Women and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reveals that over 80,000 women and girls were intentionally killed last year, with more than half of these femicides committed by intimate partners or family members. This means one woman or girl is killed by a partner or family member approximately every 10 minutes, whereas only 11 percent of male homicides involved such perpetrators. The UN is calling on governments, technology companies, and donors to address digital violence as part of broader efforts to end violence against women and girls.
Digital abuse is increasingly pervasive, particularly for women in public life such as journalists, activists, and politicians, who face harassment, sexualized threats, and intimidation online. The report notes that the proliferation of digital tools has exacerbated traditional forms of violence and created new risks, including non-consensual image-sharing, doxing, deepfake videos, cyberbullying, cyberstalking, and sexual harassment. Such abuse can inflict physical, psychological, social, political, and economic harm, often aiming to intimidate, humiliate, and silence victims.
UN leaders stress that ending impunity is critical. UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous highlighted that survivors frequently face disbelief while abusers remain unaccountable, largely due to the lack of legal frameworks regulating digital violence globally. To combat this, she recommends recognizing digital violence as actual violence, holding technology companies accountable, and investing in prevention and response measures. Ms. Tesfai emphasized the urgent need for legal protections, asserting that survivors should be protected while still alive, not forced to remain invisible to stay safe.
The UN campaign calls for integrated global action to treat digital predation as serious harm, implement robust laws, and ensure platforms and communities are safe, marking a crucial step in addressing both traditional and digital violence against women and girls worldwide.
