Impact 3: Ending violence against women
All women and girls live a life free from all forms of violence
Photo: UN Women/Sreynich Leng
Addressing digital violence through storytelling in Bangladesh
A young woman in Bangladesh watches an interactive online drama that raises awareness about digital violence and safe behaviour on social media. Photo: UN Women/Alok Aditto
“After posting content or expressing an opinion, receiving threats of physical assault and rape has become a regular phenomenon,” says Maisha Mahjabeen Priooty, a student, activist and artist, describing her online experiences. “If I turn off the comments section, they message me directly. If I ignore those messages, I receive abusive emails. Once it starts, it becomes a wave. I usually wear a mask when I go out – not because of pollution, but to hide my face and feel a little safer. It affects me in every possible way, every day. I am conscious of what I wear and where I go, because I know that the hatred I face online could at any moment become a reality offline.”
This experience is shared by many young women and girls in Bangladesh. According to an unpublished UN Women study, online harassment rose sharply during and after the civil unrest of 2024, with 66 per cent of women saying they’d received explicit or threatening messages on social media. Global studies suggest that 16–58 per cent of women experience digital violence.
To understand such experiences, thousands of young people have been engaging with the interactive online drama “Safetyforher.Net”, which asks them to step into the lives of women navigating harassment, privacy violations and social pressure – both online and offline. Implemented by UN Women and UNDP, the interactive film invites viewers to make choices for its characters – whether to report, share or stay silent, revealing how everyday decisions can either reinforce harm or create change.
By combining entertainment and education, the initiative has turned awareness into action, encouraging empathy, accountability and dialogue on issues seldom discussed openly.
Last year, more than 480,000 people across Bangladesh viewed the interactive drama, and over 230,000 participated in shaping the storyline – 46.49 per cent were aged 18–24. The findings revealed fewer than half of participants recognized online bullying or workplace harassment as gender-based violence, and many said they’d handle situations privately rather than report them, often due to stigma.
These findings are now helping UN Women and partners to strengthen prevention programmes and design interventions rooted in real behaviour instead of assumptions.
“We need a policy of zero tolerance for all forms of violence/harassment against women and girls in the digital environment, to strengthen data collection efforts to understand the different manifestations, impacts and drivers of tech-facilitated violence, to strengthen partnerships with the technology sector, and to hold perpetrators accountable,” said Gitanjali Singh, UN Women Representative in Bangladesh.
Building on these lessons, UN Women and the United Nations Development Programme in Bangladesh, with support from the Government of Sweden, developed a follow-up experience with a new storyline about a young woman candidate who faces trolling, deepfakes and online intimidation while running for local office. Scenarios explore how to respond to fake photos, hate comments or disinformation, and what to do when someone is threatened or blackmailed.
“In today’s increasingly connected world, ensuring protection against digital harassment is essential to safeguard the safety, dignity, privacy and rights of women and children,” said Mahbuba Akhter, Director of Advocacy and Communication at BLAST, a UN Women civil society partner. “Access to justice must extend to the digital space.”
As Bangladesh marks this year’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, the initiative continues to expand its reach with English subtitles and improved data-collection tools. What began as a storytelling pilot has become a model for how creative technology can challenge discriminatory social norms, address misogyny and content that normalizes violence against women and girls, and inspire collective responsibility to prevent it.
How Yemeni women face – and fight – digital abuse and online harassment
Afraa Al-Hariri, lawyer and Country Director of the Peace Track Initiative. Photo: UN Women Yemen/Alanoud Akram
With the rise of cyber blackmail and online violence, women in Yemen are breaking the silence and demanding more from the justice system.
“The laws that do not protect women in reality are the same laws that fail to protect them online”, said Afraa Al-Hariri, a Yemeni lawyer, human rights defender, and Country Director of the Peace Track Initiative.
In a new brief on digital violence across the Arab States, UN Women’s findings reflect Al-Hariri’s insight. Across the region, 49 per cent of women internet users reported that they do not feel safe from online harassment – and nearly half of women who experienced online violence stated that the abuse moved into physical spaces.
As part of the global “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence” campaign, UN Women is partnering with Yemen’s Ministry of Justice to strengthen the justice system’s ability to combat technology-facilitated violence – offering better support for survivors and dragging perpetrators out of the shadows.
How social stigma enables digital abuse in Yemen
In Yemen, like in many other countries, online spaces have become extensions of real-world gender inequality; places where sexual harassment, blackmail, and defamation can follow women into every aspect of their personal and professional lives. “The most common and harmful form involves using women’s photos, sharing them, and threatening them with exposure”, explained Al-Hariri in a recent interview, following a UN Women cybercrime workshop she led. Perpetrators may threaten to share images of a woman – real or fake – to harass, shame, and extort her.
Making matters worse is the social stigma that effectively silences many survivors. “The social norms that treat women as ‘shameful’ in real life are the same norms used against them online”, said Al-Hariri.
Many survivors of digital blackmail and fraud are pressured out of filing formal, public complaints to protect what is seen as their family’s honor. This culture of silence shields perpetrators and leaves women without legal recourse. “Many victims are forced to pay money [to their blackmailers] that they cannot afford. Some women do report or file complaints… but many remain silent due to the stigma and shame they fear will follow them”, said Al-Hariri.
Real stories: The devastating impact of online violence on women and girls in Yemen
In a UN Women interview with a young Yemeni peacebuilder, she described the chilling effect of digital abuse: “On social media, people falsely accuse [Yemeni peace activists] of being spies for other countries. At one point, I chose to stop posting about my work online because of the backlash I was facing.”
Many survivors of online violence experience fear, depression, and isolation – but the impacts often go beyond the psychological. Another woman, a beauty salon owner in Aden, shared how a perpetrator created fake online profiles to post manipulated photos of her. Within weeks, her business collapsed and her friends disappeared – leaving her financially devastated and without social support.
Worse still, online violence can turn deadly. In another case, a woman who sent her mobile phone to be serviced had her personal photos stolen by the technician – including photos of her without her veil. After he uploaded the photos onto social media, the victim’s husband found out and killed his wife. While the husband was charged, there was no law to prosecute the technician.
In yet another tragic instance, in Al Hudaydah, ongoing domestic violence and digital extortion led a girl to end her own life.
“It is rare to find a woman activist who has not been subjected to some form of abuse, insult, or defamation online.”
Afraa Al-Hariri
Equipping the justice system to combat new forms of violence
Several years ago, as more women – survivors of digital abuse – began to seek Al-Hariri’s legal advice, she knew there was little recourse for them. So, in collaboration with other women leaders, she raised the issue with Yemen’s Office of the Attorney General, leading to the creation of the Cybercrime Unit.
With the help of women’s coalitions and internet engineers, the unit was trained and equipped – and has since recorded thousands of official complaints of digital abuse and blackmail.
Chronic underreporting means that these thousands of stories don’t represent the true scale of the problem. Regardless, it is clear: Yemen’s justice system must be prepared and proactive. Al-Hariri and her partners wanted to take their efforts further by training judges and security officers, strengthening the links between these institutions that are responsible for protecting women and girls.
UN Women’s recent cybercrime workshop for law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, and other officials, facilitated by Al-Hariri, was designed to build capacity within the justice system to understand, prevent, and respond to digital blackmail. That includes how to use different tools to track perpetrators – and bring them to trial.
Participants responded to the revelations: “The course helped us recognize our strengths, as well as our weaknesses”, said Fatima Yaslam, Director of the Working Women’s Development Department in Yemen’s Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor. “Now we are moving into the serious part: How to fight this phenomenon and raise awareness about it in society and within the justice system.”
Judge Anmar Abdullah Saeed, who also attended the training, recognized that more needs to be done to encourage women and girls to report online abuse. “In general, our society is closed, and many people are afraid to report digital abuse because of social norms and traditions. That’s why it’s our responsibility to teach the community how to deal with these digital threats.”
UN Women is committed to safer digital spaces for all women and girls
Women and girls must seek safety and justice “to defend their rights”, said Al-Hariri – who herself has faced bullying and defamation online. Anyone in Yemen who is experiencing digital violence can now file reports with the Attorney General’s Office.
The efforts highlighted here were made possible with the support and collaboration of the For All Foundation for Development and the Yemen Women National Committee. UN Women – together with civil society and government partners, and leaders like Al-Hariri – continues to advocate for stronger protection mechanisms, survivor-centered responses, and laws that address gender-based violence in Yemen – in all its forms.
How a TV journalist from Uzbekistan fights back digital violence: “Online abuse also hurts”
Nilufar Sotiboldieva - TV presenter and content creator from Uzbekistan.
TV presenter and content creator Nilufar Sotiboldieva, from Uzbekistan, knows firsthand what digital abuse feels like. A familiar face on national television, she is recognized not only for her work on TV but also for becoming one of the first women in the country to challenge online harassment in court, defending her dignity, holding the perpetrator accountable, and setting an important precedent for others.
“I grew up in an ordinary, educated family. My mom is a doctor, and my dad was an investigator,” she recalls. “Since childhood, I dreamed of working in television.”
After graduating from the Institute of World Languages, Nilufar Sotiboldieva studied English. In 2004, she took her first steps into television as a sports presenter. “That's where my English skills came in handy,” she says. Today, Sotiboldieva is a well-known journalist and public figure, receiving both admiration and criticism online.
“My first experience with digital violence happened in 2020. I posted a simple photo with my daughter - both wearing long dresses – to wish her followers a blessed Ramadan. The next day, someone reposted the photo with horrific insults and fabricated stories about me. I was called things I will never forget,” she says.
“I went to the police, but the investigation led nowhere. They said they couldn't identify the person. Some even tried to discourage me from filing a report. After three months, the case was closed,” she noted.
The threat that changed everything
In June 2024, it happened again. A stranger left an offensive comment under one of her posts. At first, she hesitated to report it, remembering the disappointment from her previous experience. But when the man began threatening her, she decided this time would be different.
“I contacted a lawyer, who confirmed what I feared: my lack of legal knowledge had already worked against me. So we did things properly. We filed a complaint in June 2024 and waited six months for the trial, since the man was also being investigated for fraud.”
The trial began in January 2025. In court, that man apologized, claiming he ‘didn't like the way Sotiboldieva was raising her daughter.’ She refused to accept such a justification.
“The court upheld my case. It confirmed that no one has the right to insult or humiliate another person.” The man was found guilty under Article 140 of Uzbekistan’s Criminal Code and sentenced to one year of correctional labor, with 10 per cent of his income withheld by the state.
“This case became a litmus test”
But the verdict triggered a new wave of online bullying – this time from commentators who attacked her for going to court at all, repeating the familiar accusation: “She brought it upon herself.”
Sotiboldieva stresses that digital violence is violence. It leaves real scars, and under Article 140 of the Criminal Code, it is a punishable offence in Uzbekistan. “Many people simply don’t know the law,” she says. “But my case reminded everyone that insults and threats online are crimes. I stood up not just for myself, but for every girl and woman who could end up in my place.”
For her, it was also deeply personal. Her daughter had recently experienced bullying, too.
“I wanted to show my daughter that you must defend yourself till the end. I know how digital violence destroys self-esteem. We need to talk about this openly. If we want to change attitudes toward violence, it has to start with us - at home, in our families. Too often, aggression comes from repressed emotions, from children not being allowed to speak up, be angry, or cry. We need more school psychologists, comprehensive sexuality education, and a systemic, holistic approach.”
Her message to girls and young women is clear: “Develop yourself. Study. Play sports. Take care of your health. Invest in who you are. And never let anyone cross your boundaries. Use social media for good - for learning, exploring, growing - not as a battleground for insults and abuse.”