Social media platforms have become breeding grounds for online violence against women involving hate speech directed at female candidates and activists. Users encounter a wide range of derogatory remarks, from personal attacks on childless women to inappropriate comments about a candidate’s physical attributes.
These sexualized and demeaning comments transcend political affiliations and detract from substantive policy discussions that concern voters.
Online violence against women is not a temporary glitch but a systemic problem designed to undermine democratic processes and the security of individuals worldwide. Its impact extends far beyond election cycles, posing a significant threat to global democracy.
The Importance of Women in Politics
Research has consistently shown that increased female participation in politics leads to improved outcomes for all citizens.
For instance, UN Women reported that in India, areas with women-led councils saw a 62% higher number of drinking water projects compared to those led by men. This trend is observed globally, highlighting the positive impact of diverse representation in governance.
Many are withdrawing from political participation despite the clear benefits of women’s political involvement. The primary reason cited for this retreat is the relentless online violence against women attacks they face on social media platforms. This issue becomes particularly acute during election periods when gendered disinformation campaigns intensify.
The Strategic Nature of Online Attacks
The online violence against women in politics goes beyond traditional misogyny. State and non-state actors opposed to women’s rights strategically employ digital technologies and platforms to target and exclude individual women and their organizations.
These attacks aim to delegitimize community campaigns and discourage women and young girls from participating in political processes due to fear of harm to themselves or their families.
The advent of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has exacerbated this problem by enabling the large-scale, automated creation of falsified intimate images of targeted women. Additionally, AI-powered bots are used to amplify inauthentic messages, further amplifying the reach and impact of these attacks.
The Disproportionate Impact on Women
Moreover, data reveals that female politicians face a significantly higher level of toxicity and scale of attacks compared to their male counterparts, who already constitute the majority in elected chambers globally.
When people attempt to address online violence against women, they are often dismissed, being told that such treatment is an inevitable consequence of entering the political arena, which is perceived as a male-dominated space.
Addressing the Issue
Organizations worldwide have begun raising awareness about this problem, prompting governments and the private sector to take notice. Our Secure Future, a United States-based organization, has produced a guide emphasizing the need for technology companies and state actors to solve online disinformation, specifically focusing on its gendered aspects.
“It is the responsibility of technology companies and state actors to address disinformation online, but the gendered aspects of disinformation are rarely recognized. It is imperative that a gender lens be integrated into such efforts to better understand disinformation trends and their varied consequences,” according to Our Secure Future’s guide.
Our Secure Future also shares that women are driving usage in all areas, from product design to the expansion of e-commerce, but they are still underrepresented. This has lasting implications for the economy, government, and safety.
Our Secure Future applies the Women, Peace and Security policy framework to global challenges by integrating a gender perspective into efforts to combat disinformation and online violence against women.
The Persistent Gap in Inclusive Technology
While gender inclusion has long been a focus of democratic efforts, there remains a significant gap in aligning inclusive technology objectives with democracy and gender equality.
Researchers and activists have documented the issue of online violence against women globally and developed strategies to support women during crises. However, Our Secure Future cites that the task remains daunting due to the enormous power imbalance between well-meaning citizens and governments on one side, and the technology industry on the other.
The visible hostility in social media feeds and the lack of response to reported attacks have eroded trust among female politicians in technology companies as credible partners in addressing these harms.
Governments have been slow to regulate this issue, despite pressure from organizations like Our Secure Future. For example, even Europe’s leading framework on violence against women fails to address online attacks specifically.
Steps Towards Progress
Some governments, such as Australia, have taken meaningful steps to fight online violence against women by establishing regulatory frameworks and guides through their e-Safety Commission.
However, even these efforts have faced challenges, as evidenced by threats made against Australia’s eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant by supporters of billionaire Elon Musk when she sought to enforce regulations on his social media platform, X.
As 2024 experiences the largest number of voters expected to participate in elections worldwide, Our Secure Future urges everyone to discuss the issue of online violence against women in politics.
Efforts must be made to prevent disinformation and AI from disrupting electoral processes, with special attention given to the treatment of candidates online.
For democracy to thrive, public spaces, including digital environments, must enable equal participation for all individuals. According to Our Secure Future, paying attention to online violence against women in politics is no longer just a matter of fairness. It is necessary for the health and integrity of democratic systems worldwide.
