Technology-facilitated gender-based violence is becoming an increasingly serious issue in Palestine, where digital abuse often spills over into real-world harm and further restricts women’s participation in public and economic life. In response, Expertise France is supporting an 11-month initiative led by the NGO Ibtikar in Bethlehem and Hebron to strengthen digital literacy, improve online safety, and help women better protect themselves from online harassment and abuse. The project is part of the Laboratory for Women’s Rights Online, an initiative launched by France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
The programme focuses on raising awareness, building practical digital skills, and promoting safer online behaviour among women and girls in the southern West Bank. So far, it has already delivered 40 workshops attended by nearly 200 participants, around 80 percent of them women. Through these sessions, participants are learning how to navigate digital spaces more safely, understand online risks, protect personal data, manage privacy settings, and identify different forms of harassment, intimidation, and manipulation that commonly occur online.
The initiative goes beyond basic awareness by combining education with legal support, knowledge-sharing, and digital innovation. Women are not only being trained in online safety practices, but are also being informed about their legal rights and the reporting mechanisms available to them. Many participants are learning for the first time that certain forms of online abuse can be formally reported. The project also introduces them to relevant local institutions, including the Palestinian Authority’s Cybercrime Combating Unit, helping to bridge the gap between digital harm and access to justice.
A key component of the programme is the development of an AI-powered application designed to help detect and report online abuse. This digital tool is intended to support reporting, documentation, and awareness around online violence, offering women a more accessible way to identify abusive behaviour and seek support. By integrating technology into the response, the initiative aims to not only educate women about online risks but also provide practical tools that can help them act when abuse occurs.
The project is led by Ibtikar for Empowerment and Social Entrepreneurship, a Bethlehem-based organisation founded by Palestinian social entrepreneur Sulaima Ramadan. Ibtikar was created to support women, youth, refugees, small entrepreneurs, and other marginalized groups in underserved Palestinian communities, particularly in Bethlehem, Hebron, and surrounding areas. The organisation works to connect training, mentorship, and community support with real economic and social opportunities, helping participants transform creativity and resilience into sustainable livelihoods. Over time, it has built a growing network of women and young people developing micro-enterprises, cultural products, handicrafts, and social initiatives despite difficult political and economic conditions.
Ibtikar’s work is grounded in the belief that resilience is not just a concept but a daily practice of continuing to create, work, and support others under constraint. Rather than treating participants as passive beneficiaries, the organisation aims to create a community of collective learning, solidarity, and shared growth. This approach is particularly important in the context of online gender-based violence, where isolation and silence often allow abuse to continue unchecked.
In Palestine, online gender-based violence affects many women, especially those who are visible in entrepreneurship, media, activism, or public debate. Women who use social media to run businesses, express opinions, or engage in community discussions frequently face harassment, intimidation, threats, blackmail, and attempts to shame or silence them. In some cases, this includes the misuse of personal photos, coordinated abuse campaigns, or the spread of defamatory content. These forms of violence not only affect women emotionally and psychologically, but can also disrupt their livelihoods and discourage them from participating in digital spaces altogether.
These risks are intensified by the broader political and social realities in Palestine. Restrictions on movement, prolonged military occupation, and recurring instability mean that digital spaces have become essential for communication, advocacy, and access to markets. For many Palestinian women, especially small entrepreneurs, online platforms are crucial for reaching customers and maintaining economic activity. At the same time, Palestinian civil society groups have raised concerns about the restriction or removal of Palestinian content on social media, while some individuals have reportedly faced legal consequences or arrest linked to their digital activity or political expression. This creates an atmosphere of additional fear, especially for women who are already navigating social pressures around visibility and public speech.
Because of these overlapping pressures, many women who experience online harassment choose not to report it. Fear of social consequences, limited awareness of available reporting systems, and the belief that little can be done often lead to silence. This silence can reinforce cycles of intimidation and exclusion, pushing women out of digital and economic spaces. In such a context, ensuring women’s online safety becomes about far more than technology—it is also about protecting their agency, voice, and right to participate in public life.
Within this environment, Ibtikar’s role is to help women and girls build digital resilience. Its workshops provide not only technical knowledge but also safe spaces where participants can openly discuss experiences of online harassment, share coping strategies, and break the stigma surrounding technology-facilitated gender-based violence. By combining community dialogue with practical tools and legal awareness, the initiative seeks to ensure that women are not driven out of digital spaces by intimidation, but instead are empowered to use those spaces safely and confidently.
Overall, the project highlights how technology-facilitated gender-based violence in Palestine is both a digital and social justice issue. It shows that meaningful responses require more than awareness campaigns alone—they need practical safety tools, legal pathways, trusted community support, and local organisations capable of understanding the specific realities women face. Through its partnership with Expertise France, Ibtikar is helping create that support system, offering a locally grounded model for protecting women’s rights online while strengthening their participation in social and economic life.
