ISLAMABAD: Reports of online violence against women journalists have doubled since 2020, with serious impacts on their health and well-being, according to a study published ahead of ‘World Press Freedom Day,’ which is marked annually on May 3.
The report by UN Women and partners highlights how online violence targeting women in public life is becoming increasingly technologically sophisticated, invasive, and damaging in the era of artificial intelligence (AI).
The survey findings indicate that these forms of abuse, which were considered relatively rare just a few years ago, now account for a significant portion of the broader ecosystem of online violence. Overall, 12 per cent of the women surveyed reported experiencing the non-consensual sharing of personal images, including sexually explicit or intimate image-based material, and 6pc reported being targeted by deepfakes or other manipulated imagery.
“AI is making abuse easier and more damaging, and this is fueling the erosion of hard-won rights in a context marked by democratic backsliding and networked misogyny,” said Kalliopi Mingerou, who leads the agency’s team working to end violence against women.
The report, “Tipping Point: Online Violence Impacts, Manifestations and Redress in the AI Age,” is based on a 2025 survey, with 641 participants from 119 countries responding.
Women journalists and media workers are facing a significant further chilling of their freedom of expression, as evidenced by a 2025 survey. While in 2020, 30pc of respondents in this group reported self-censoring in response to online violence, by the end of 2025 that rate had risen to 45pc, representing a 50pc increase.
Shockingly, 50pc of the women identifying as writers and other public communicators said they self-censor on social media in response to online violence, while over a quarter (26pc) said they self-censor at work.
The picture is not much better for journalists and media workers, with approximately 45pc of this group—whose work depends on robust freedom of expression protections—saying that they self-censor online, and over one-fifth (22pc) indicating that they self-censor in the workplace.
For human rights defenders and activists, the statistics are similar: 43pc silence themselves on social media, while 20pc self-censor at work. The findings reveal that 12pc of women human rights defenders, activists, journalists, and other media workers have experienced the non-consensual sharing of personal images, including intimate or sexual content.
6pc have been victims of “deepfakes” — AI-generated images that look real — while one in three have received unsolicited sexual advances online. Some 41pc of respondents said they self-censor on social media to avoid abuse, while 19pc self-censor in their professional work for the same reason.
The picture is even more concerning for women journalists and media workers, as harassment has forced 45pc to self-censor on social media — a 50pc increase over 2020. Additionally, almost 22pc self-censor in their work.
While the public distribution of “nudification” content is a notable new phenomenon, much image-based abuse still arrives via direct messages on social media apps, in the form of unwanted sexual advances featuring sexual imagery, sometimes referred to as cyber-flashing.
Women journalists and media workers were also twice as likely to report incidents of online violence to the police compared with 2020 – 22pc versus 11pc. They are also now more likely to take legal action against perpetrators, enablers (such as tech companies) or their employers – from 8pc in 2020 to 14pc in 2025.
The report documents the severe toll online violence is having on women’s mental health. Nearly a quarter of women journalists and media workers 24.7pc have been diagnosed with or treated for anxiety or depression.
Almost 13pc have been diagnosed with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).
One respondent – a journalist and community organiser – shared how these mental health impacts are linked with self-censorship, discussions around the democratic process, and financial hardship. “When we speak aloud about democracy, there is no ‘feel’ of democracy – only a ‘demo of craziness,’” she told the researchers.
“Unable to cope with the relentless pressure, I resigned from my job in December 2023. I am now sitting at home, focused solely on restoring my mental wellness.”
The situation has caused severe financial problems as she is “currently subsisting on rice porridge, a direct consequence of being forced into silence and out of work.”
Despite the crisis, significant gaps in legal protection against online violence persist, as World Bank data shows that fewer than 40pc of countries have laws that protect women from cyber harassment or cyberstalking.
The report is the second in a series based on a global survey. The next edition will address a wide range of issues related to online violence against women in public-facing roles, including analysis of perpetrators’ characteristics and behaviours and the role of “Big Tech” companies.
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