The rise in online violence against women human rights defenders, activists and journalists has reached a tipping point, often fueling offline attacks, according to a new report released today, produced by UN Women’s ACT to End Violence against Women programme, supported by the European Commission, in partnership with researchers from TheNerve, City St George’s, University of London and the International Center for Journalists, and in collaboration with UNESCO.

Without strong countermeasures, online violence risks driving women out of digital spaces, undermining democracy and freedom of expression.

The report, Tipping point: The chilling escalation of violence against women in the public sphere, shows that 70 per cent of surveyed women have experienced online violence in the course of their work. Furthermore, 41 per cent of respondents reported offline harm linked to online abuse.

For women journalists, the link between online abuse and offline harm has become more concerning. In a 2020 global survey published by UNESCO, 20 per cent of women journalists associated the offline attacks or abuse they experienced with online violence. In the new 2025 survey – conducted by the same researchers and presented in this report – that share of journalists and media workers has more than doubled to 42 per cent.

“These figures confirm that digital violence is not virtual – it’s real violence with real-world consequences,” said Sarah Hendricks, Director of Policy, Programme and Intergovernmental Division at UN Women. “Women who speak up for our human rights, report the news or lead social movements are being targeted with abuse designed to shame, silence and push them out of public debate. Increasingly, those attacks do not stop at the screen – they end at women’s front doors. We cannot allow online spaces to become platforms for intimidation that silence women and undermine democracy.”

“This data shows that in the age of AI-fueled abuse and rising authoritarianism, online violence against women in the public sphere is increasing. But what’s truly disturbing is the evidence that women journalists’ experience of offline harm associated with online violence has more than doubled since 2020 – with 42 per cent of 2025 survey participants identifying this dangerous and potentially deadly trajectory, said Professor Julie Posetti, lead researcher and Director of TheNerve’s Information Integrity Initiative.

Read the full article about the rise in online violence against women at Eco-Business.