Tipping point: The chilling escalation of online violence against women in the public sphere

Online violence against women has become a growing global crisis. What begins on a screen can quickly fuel harassment, intimidation, and even real-world harm. Women who speak up, report the news, or defend human rights are increasingly targeted with threats, abuse, and misinformation designed to push them out of public life.

This publication examines this urgent issue. Developed under UN Women’s EU-funded ACT to End Violence against Women Programme, the publication draws on a global survey reaching women from 119 countries. It highlights how online attacks—once dismissed as “virtual” problems—are now spilling offline, affecting women’s safety, well-being, and ability to participate freely in public debate. The report also explores how new technologies, including artificial intelligence, are making abusive content easier to create and harder to control, further heightening risks for women in public life.

The publication explains the scale of the problem in clear terms and shows that online violence is part of a broader pattern of shrinking civic space and rising backlash against women’s rights. It calls for urgent action to ensure digital platforms are safer, to strengthen legal protections, and to support women who experience abuse. By shining a spotlight on this escalating form of violence, the report offers evidence, context, and practical direction for policymakers, tech companies, civil society, and anyone working to protect women’s rights and support women’s full participation in public life.