UN Women report: Online violence against women journalists has doubled since 2020

Reports of online violence against women journalists have doubled since 2020, with nearly one in four now experiencing anxiety or depression linked to digital abuse, according to a new report released by UN Women ahead of World Press Freedom Day.

The report, titled Tipping Point: Online Violence—Impacts, Manifestations and Redress in the AI Age, highlights a surge in increasingly sophisticated forms of abuse targeting women in public life, particularly journalists and media professionals.

Conducted in partnership with The Nerve and other stakeholders, the study reveals that online attacks are often coordinated and deliberate, aimed at silencing women while damaging their professional credibility and personal reputations.

According to the findings, 45 per cent of women journalists reported self-censoring on social media in 2025—a sharp 50 per cent increase from 2020 levels—while nearly 22 per cent admitted to censoring their professional work due to online harassment.

The report also documents disturbing trends in digital abuse. About 12 per cent of women in public-facing roles—including journalists, activists, and human rights defenders—said they had experienced the non-consensual sharing of personal or intimate images.

Six per cent reported being victims of deepfake content, while nearly one in three had received unsolicited sexual advances through digital platforms.

Despite the rise in abuse, more women journalists are seeking justice. In 2025, 22 per cent reported incidents to police, double the 11 per cent recorded in 2020.

Additionally, 14 per cent have pursued legal action against perpetrators, enablers, or employers—up from eight per cent five years ago—indicating growing awareness and demand for accountability.

However, the psychological toll remains severe. The report shows that 24.7 per cent of women journalists surveyed have been diagnosed with anxiety or depression related to online violence, while nearly 13 per cent reported post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Kalliopi Mingerou, Chief of the Ending Violence Against Women Section at UN Women, warned that emerging technologies are exacerbating the crisis.

“Artificial intelligence is making abuse easier and more damaging, fueling the erosion of hard-won rights in a context marked by democratic backsliding and networked misogyny,” she said.

“There is an urgent need for stronger systems, laws and platform accountability.”

The report further underscores significant gaps in legal protections worldwide. Fewer than 40 per cent of countries currently have laws addressing cyber harassment or cyberstalking, leaving an estimated 1.8 billion women and girls—44 per cent globally—without adequate legal safeguards.

The findings come amid renewed global calls to protect press freedom and ensure safer digital spaces for women journalists, particularly as online platforms become central to news dissemination and public engagement.