Women are increasingly experiencing violence online. Online impunity and incel culture are putting women at risk, according to the director of the United Nations Women for Europe. ”Online violence is real violence and it’s impacting women the most” as gender backlash grows. Online hatred against women is rising and amplifying gender tensions in real life situations, the head of the United Nations division for women in Europe told Euronews as she warned about an increasingly hostile environment for young girls and women.
“Digital violence is real violence”, Belén Sanz, Director for UN Women for Europe and Central Asia, told Euronews. “Women and girls experience it, and it has tremendous consequences because it takes out the voice of women, their rights, and their choices”, she added. 74% of women in Europe have either experienced online violence themselves or witnessed it against another woman, according to a 2021 study by the Economist Intelligence Unit.
“It is critical that there is a regulation about the development and the use of artificial intelligence and digital technologies”, said Sanz, adding that it is also important to ensure that people, especially young boys and girls, can discern the information that they receive.
Among the most harmful formsof online abuse is deepfake pornography, which uses women’s faces to simulate sexual acts without consent. Deepfake pornography accounts for approximately 98% of all deepfake videos online, with 99% of the targets being women, according to a 2023 report by cybersecurity firm Home Security Heroes.
In response, the UN’s yearly campaign“16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence” will on ending digital violence against all women and girls. The campaign will be released worldwide on Tuesday.
Source: Euronews
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